[Galaxy Note 4 Android Development (Snapdragon)] BeckPC:
[BeckPC steps up to the soap box and clears his throat...]

NOTE: I apologize for this being off topic the ROM/Device. However it's something that really needs to be said.

Welcome to the 21st century. I'm often asked why old tech doesn't work as well as it used to? I sit down and tell them this...

Think of it this way...

3G is a Ford Model T (a slow antique method of traveling the internet highway)

4G is a Ford Mustang (a faster, more effective way of traveling the internet highway)

5G is a Tesla (a much faster acceleration for traveling the same highway)

* If 5G is not available, it will slow down to work with the 4G speed. If that's not available, it will slow down even more!

Just because you have a key for a Lamborghini in your hand doesn't mean your Model T will go any faster!

Does your Grandmother's Black and White TV from the late 1960's access Color Satellite TV? No, it doesn't. Why? Because it never supported color! What do you do to fix that? Replace the TV!

The reason companies switched to enclosed batteries is to reduce the thickness of the phone itself (and make more money for replacements). That is something everyone complained about back around the time when the Note 4 devices came available. The only reason you have to remove the battery when rooting a device is to quickly reboot when forcing the phone to take an upgrade that's not recommended. Rooting is something you 'force' onto a device to gain full access to the operating system. Removing the battery just makes it quicker and easier to reboot. I know this because I've rooted over 50 Note devices. Most of the time I have the backs off of them too, but rarely do I remove the battery once it's up and running.

The other reason they enclose the battery is to improve sales. If a user can't replace the battery, they will be more likely to buy a new one. Batteries last approximately 1000 recharges. If you charge it every day, that's a little more than 3 years of use. By sealing in the battery, it means more income for the company when you buy a new one. Duh... it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. If they did the same to our cars, then we have a reason to be furious. However ... these are small electronic devices that are nearly disposable and NEED TO BE REPLACED OVER TIME! That is unless you feel your 1970's model AM radio is still satisfactory to use on a daily basis.

Technology changes quickly these days. Don't expect something 5,6, or 7 (or more) years old to keep going as good at the new one you just bought. Even laptops have enclosed batteries which require a tech to remove and replace. The Surface Pro computers are easily destroyed removing/replacing the batteries. Get used to it. I don't see this pattern ever changing. As technology changes in the next five years, we will see a lot of older devices no longer being functional. Everything moves forward as the world discards the old stuff that had gotten them to where they are today.

As much as I love the Note 3/4 devices, they won't last forever. I have several 'dead' ones here. They look pretty, but they are dead. Changing the battery won't help. Literally everything is on one or two boards inside that little device. Circuits fail and need to be replaced. Fixing a dead phone is not cost effective in most cases. Besides, you'd just be left in the dust when a newer technology arrives.

As for accessories and attachments for your old device. I can't tell you how much stuff I had to 'buy again' over the years. We went from Mini USB, to Micro USB, now USB C. Apple went from their 30 pin connector, to Lightning, and now some are USB C. Hmmm... it sounds to me that technology changes over time. Why did they change these things? To make them smaller, faster, and easier to connect and offer better services. Just remember, your old headphones won't work in anything new either. That technology has been around for well over 50+ years. I've never been able to plug in my 1/4" headphone jack into any of my devices. What do you do? Replace it. Get with the times and grow up!

If you have an old device that doesn't appear to function as well as your friend's, it's probably because of a failing circuit in your 5+ year old device. Remember, the Note 4 came out in 2014. That's 6 years old (in just about a month). I know for sure because I was the first one in town to get one (and got the shirt to prove it from Samsung). You're lucky if it's still working! My wife's old iPhone is sitting in a drawer (with a non-replaceable battery and an OS that can't do squat)!

I know this because I've been doing tech repair/service work for over 40 years. I know what the first computer I ever worked on was capable of. I know the one I'm using right now is light-years beyond in technology. Should I complain that I can't put my big 8" floppy disk into this new laptop I got? No ... I've grown up and moved with the rest of the world. Do I keep the old technology? Yes, it's nostalgic and fun to play with. Do I rely on it daily? No... again, I've moved on but keep it to have something fun to play with.

[BeckPC backs slowly off the soap box and walks away shaking his head ... ]