[General Topics] Planterz:
"I like this phone, but I wish the battery wasn't so big."

"It's such a convenience to carry around a charger and data cable."

"This iPhone lasts forever on a charge!"

3 phrases you'll never hear anybody utter.

The phone news sites for the last day or so have reported that Motorola has filed to trademark the name "Droid Maxx", and rumors for a "Maxx" version of the Moto X or X+1 (or could be a G). For those that don't know, the Maxx line of Motorolas are thicker than their slimmer counterparts, packed with huge batteries. 3300mAh for the Razr Maxx and HD Maxx, 3500 for the Droid Maxx. And apart from a HSPA version of the original Razr Maxx (XT910), they're exclusive to Verizon in the USA.

But why is this so uncommon? Why are there so few phones that come with bigger batteries? Big enough to power the huge screens phones have these days, and the power-hungry processors inside? And why are so many companies going with non-replaceable batteries? Even on some phones with removable backs like the Moto line and the OnePlus One, where you can see and touch the battery, it's not replaceable.

There are a couple reasons I can think of why manufacturers are leaning towards non-replaceable batteries. One is construction. By making the battery integral, you can shave a layer or two of plastic, making the phone thinner or making the battery bigger. It can also make the phone more solid, or at least feel solid. A HTC One, Sony Z2, or iPhone certainly feels like a more solid and high-quality device than a Samsung Galaxy with a flimsy battery cover. And face it, nobody likes chasing down a flying battery cover when they drop their phone, hoping it didn't break the cover or the little tabs that hold it in place.

The other reason is so the user can't replace the battery. Every so often, you'll see on the news sites a story about a Samsung Galaxy phone catching fire or exploding. The reason is always the same: cheap/knockoff/counterfeit batteries. Or maybe it was a cheap charger (as is the case anytime somebody's gets toasted). But by at least preventing the battery from being replaced, they can prevent you from buying a $5 battery from China off eBay.

I suppose planned obsolescence could be a reason too. Li-ion and Li-po batteries have a life of a few hundred cycles. But there's only a few hundred days in a year, and phones often get charged more than once a day. So that means most of our batteries turn to crap and degrade after about a year, give or take. And if you can't replace the $10-20 battery, you have to replace your multi-hundred-dollar phone, or at least spend a bunch to get it repaired (if you don't want to do it yourself, or don't realize that you probably can).

But here's the thing: bigger batteries last longer. That might sound like an obvious statement, but it's not just about how long a charge it'll hold. The bigger a battery, the lower the internal resistance is. That means it degrades slower over time. Combined with requiring less charge cycles, it takes longer to degrade over time. Lower internal resistance also means a bigger battery is more efficient. A jump from 2000mAh to 3000mAh isn't just a a 50% increase in capacity, but a more than 50% increase in actual runtime on a charge.

So why can't we get bigger batteries in our phones? Is thin really that in? For example, look at the Droid Ultra and Droid Maxx. The Ultra is pretty dang thin at 0.28" (7.18mm), vs the still fairly svelte Droid Maxx at .33" (8.5mm). Plus about an ounce (30g) in weight. But the Maxx has a massive 3500mAh vs an anemic 2130mAh on the Ultra. That's a 64% increase in capacity, and it without making much of an extra burden in your pocket.

I'm not saying that everybody should follow my opinion and start asking for fatter phones - maybe you want/need something as svelte as possible. All I'm saying is that I want the option of having a bigger battery, or at least a replaceable one. I'm increasingly less and less a fan of Samsung, but at least they're keeping with replaceable batteries. And if you pick up a popular one (Galaxy S series, Note), you can pick up an battery/case like Zerolemon or if not something that fat (with 8500-10000mAh batteries), there are slimmer options. Other popular devices might have cases with built-in batteries, but that's just not the same (plus they're fat and longer as well). And carrying around a charger/cord is an annoyance as is one of those battery blocks or whatever they're called.

Manufacturers are also touting their software that has so-called ultra-power saving modes, but that's just not the same thing (since if you need to use the mode, you're also not using your phone). And it's no substitute for simply cramming a bigass battery in the phone.

I'll conclude my musings with a story - a true one.

In November I was forced to walk home from work because of a flat tire. Rather than walking down a main road, I went down a side-road (it was quicker) that wasn't well lit. Tucson isn't really a city, it's more a big town, so it wasn't like I was walking down a sketchy alley like you see in a movie. It was just a road through a residential area. Right by a highschool. Long story short, I got jumped by 2 guys, beat up and stabbed in the abdomen. I'll spare the details (it wasn't cinematic - I got my ass kicked and couldn't fight back). I tried calling the 911, but touchscreens don't work when covered in blood. A passer-by called for me, and help was on the way.

At this point in time, I got my phone to respond, and I called my parents. My phone was a Motorola Droid Razr Maxx, and it's beefy 3300mAh battery was at 69% after a 11 hour shift at work, which included texting my boss and complaining about not having enough help, and complaining on Facebook about how much my day was sucking (little did I know...). By the time I called my parents again and my boss to let him know what happened, my phone was down to 63%. All the police left me with was my phone, keys and wallet. It should have occured to me to ask for my charger (and work clothes - they cut all mine off and put them in evidence) from my backpack, but hey, I just stabbed and the crap kicked out of me and wasn't thinking very clearly.

I spent the night in the hospital, during which I used my phone to text and FB to let my friends and family know what happened (and to check every few minutes for "get well" messages). By the time a friend brought me my backpack (which the cops were nice enough to drop off at my work for me), my battery was at 9%.

The point is you can't always rely on having a charger or a spare battery when you need one. And I don't mean "need" as in you want to charge it because you're on a hot streak on a game, or you have to go into a power-saving mode. I mean need it. That's why I want bigger batteries in phones and more phones with them. On a side-note, it's a good idea to memorize a few important phone numbers (friends/family/work), because you might not even have your phone when the worst happens, or you have it but the battery completely dies.

And BTW, I'm fine. Went home that evening, was up and about in 2 days and back at work a week after. I was very lucky. Cops never found the guys though.