[noobie]

Rant.

It really bugs me when consumers ask for more features regardless of their feasibility, here we have a great phone with changebale batteries and yet we ask for it to be still on while we swap the batteries! Hasn't it occurred to us that maybe it's technically difficult to add in a supercap. Just be thankful. This is like constentaly asking for phones with more RAM and processing power, I am really glad Moore's law has come to end, maybe now consumers will be faced with the harsh truth that it is not simple to keep on creating more powerful devices for them to watch cat videos on.

[protomyth]

To be fair, the Newton allowed you to change batteries with power still supplied. It used watch batteries. Switch one battery or the other and keep everything. People aren't asking for the world, they're asking for something that's been a solved problem.

[colszowka]

To be fair, no cat video watching on the Newton though

[protomyth]

Given the people still using Newtons, I wouldn't bet against them - although black & white would be the result.

[joenathan]

The HP TC1100 Windows XP tablet had hot-swappable batteries, granted you had to put the device to sleep first, but was ultra convenient.

[asafira]

I'm among those not in agreement with the rant. In the case of the battery swapping, there are plenty of obvious ways to get around the phone turning off while swapping batteries (i.e., capacitors or smaller batteries). Why does it seem that unfeasible to you?

People should be very thankful for these feats of technology, but their wants literally drive the innovation there. Until truly impossible desires start to become the criticisms, I honestly don't mind them.

[danielconde]

I agree. With automobiles, people seem to be more aware of the constraints and the balance of capabilities to make a vehicle that fits a segment. I.e. sports cars aren't always comfortable. One day, people may understand tradeoffs in phones and realize that long battery life may require a thick phone.

[theon144]

>realize that long battery life may require a thick phone.

I'm pretty sure most people realize that, and everyone I've ever heard complaining about battery life also added that they wouldn't mind a thicker phone.

[maxerickson]

Of course no true sports cars have it, but some cars claiming to be sports cars have dial-a-mode for their suspension. Driving to work? Select smooth and comfortable. Driving for fun? Select performance.

[mikeash]

Is it really technically difficult to add a supercap? I remember laptops in the 90s with hot-swappable batteries. The feature will add expense and bulk, and if people refuse to make the tradeoffs then that's worthy of complaining, but this particular feature seems totally reasonable to ask for.

Same deal with constantly wanting more RAM and CPU. Computers have been getting steadily more powerful at a nearly constant rate for maybe half a century now. Asking to keep that going is totally reasonable!

[digi_owl]

I dunno. But i recall reading about a Chinese phone that had two batteries. One was built in, another was sitting on top and was removable.

they both charged via a single USB port.

Yes, this made it bulky compared to most things on the market right now.

And frankly i would love to see less anorexic phones. Heck, my next one may well be the recently unveiled Cat model that has integrated FLIR. This time round it seems they didn't skimp on the internals while still retaining the rugged construction.

[mikeash]

I agree, the obsession with thinness drives me batty.

My iPhone barely makes it through the day sometimes. I usually have no problem, but occasionally I find myself around 9PM and my battery is down to 5% and I have to plug it in somewhere. This leads me to plug it in more than I strictly need to, just to ward off these moments. This would all become a non-issue if the battery were twice the size. Then my phone might be 10mm thick instead of 7mm thick, and might weigh 300 grams instead of 200 grams. Not a big deal. But instead, thinness is maximized, and everything else is built to be just adequate based on that.

[dandrews]

My daughter would disagree with you in re: thinness. The newer thin iPhones are easier to pocket - women's fashion being more form fitting than men's. It's a trade-off that she and presumably lots of other people are willing to make.

[mikeash]

Which is why phone makers should make some variety here. Make thin phones for people who prioritize size, make thick phones for people who prioritize battery life.

I'm not saying every single phone on the planet should be the kind I want....

[roywiggins]

On the plus side, you can always stick a bulky battery case onto a thin phone.

Now if only there were more variety in phones with small screens; now that iPhones are big, what are people with small hands supposed to buy?

[digi_owl]

Time for people to stop bending to fashion and buy sensible clothing then.

Also, i could have sworn that Galaxy Note was a hit with with ladies as they put them in handbags rather than pockets...

Not that i know much about fashion, as my wardrobe is stuffed with cargo pants.

[digi_owl]

And now i remind myself that these thin phones are often a right pain to hold.

If i let it sit deeply in my palm, the outer joint of my fingers protrude over the edge of the device, and get in the way of using it.

But if i shift my grip so that the fingertips are resting on the side of the device, the only contact points are those tips, and the thumb area of the palm.

And holding it like that seems to always be on the verge of slipping.

[s3bast0m]

Buy this phone with a 6050mAh battery, and it's just 8.5mm thick http://www.gearbest.com/cell-phones/pp_230567.html

[makomk]

Never trust battery capacity ratings on off-brand Chinese electronics.

[vbezhenar]

There's official case for iPhone with additional battery.

[mikeash]

Sure, but that adds substantial bulk, hurts efficiency, integrates poorly, and is stupid ugly. Not really the same as building a bigger battery into the phone itself.

[curt15]

While not quite phones, some Thinkpads have precisely the battery arrangement you describe.

[Dylan16807]

Can't be that hard. With a cursory search I can find 3mm x 9mm x 10mm batteries with an order of magnitude more capacity and discharge rate than a sleeping phone would need.

[jtchang]

I don't know. I consider this actually a good thing that we continue to push the envelope of technology. Yes it is technically difficult now to add a supercap. But who knows? Enough research and we might be able to do it easily. A lot of the phone technology we have right now is due to consumers asking for stuff regardless of feasibility. Sometimes it is better not to know the details but to dream.

[Perixoog]

Is it that hard to make a phone that works when it's plugged into a charger without a battery?

[newjersey]

Yes, this is my number one feature request as well. Well, something related. Stop charging the battery once the battery is full. Run the phone on external power when connected to the wall. Sorry of like how a laptop or notebook computer would work.

[mmastrac]

Project Ara supports this so it's within the realm of feasibility.

[grahamburger]

I agree with you in principle, but a hot swappable battery is actually a feature I'd really appreciate. I'd take that over more ram and a faster processor.

[oxplot]

Say the new feature was a super accurate GPS, down to a centimeter so you could now find your way in a shopping mall. Oh and it'd report a position once a minute!