[Ecco]

Honestly, there’s another explanation that I think makes a lot more sense even though it’s less beautiful : the product team wasn’t sure they wanted to ship a battery with the device in the first place. Or at least they wanted to keep the option of shipping the device without a battery.

Removing the battery makes the device cheaper (you can also remove the power brick if any) and removes a supplier from the chain. Keeping this options makes a lot of sense from a purely economical standpoint.

[taneq]

It's also a pragmatic move for a mobile device which might need to work for long periods of time away from power sources. As strange as it may seem to some of us, not everyone has a USB port available at all times. You could take one of these things and a couple of packs of AA batteries on a camping trip without worrying about finding a power point.

Similarly, Windows Mixed Reality VR controllers run off AA batteries instead of the more traditional built-in LiIon battery. The downside is you have to buy batteries for it, the upside is you can swap battery packs and you're not beholden to a custom power source.

[TeMPOraL]

Worth remembering that this camera was released 10 years ago. AFAIK, powerbanks weren't really a thing back then, at least not popular and widely available things. I can easily imagine how they could market the ability to power the device with AA batteries as a feature.

That said, it's still great they did that, and they deserve praise.

[noir_lord]

Oculus Rift S controllers run off a single AA each as well.

It's a good choice though led to us going through AA's at a horrible rate in our house.

[moviuro]

> going through AA's at a horrible rate in our house

You can buy rechargeable AA batteries[0,1] though. I only have those at home (toothbrush, remotes, etc.).

[0] https://www.energizer.com/batteries/energizer-rechargeable-b...

[1] https://www.duracell.fr/product/duracell-rechargeable-ultra-...

[germinalphrase]

Eneloops are a high quality AA option. Standard choice for flashlight nerds.

[taneq]

It's actually remarkable how closely the Rift S has followed in WMR's footsteps. I'd be curious to know how Lenovo has managed the risk of infringing Microsoft's IP (and likewise the risk of being implicated in any possible cases of Microsoft treading on Oculus' toes), given the similarities and their prior experience with WMR.

[noir_lord]

I’m happy with it.

Still would like more resolution for flight sims (gauges dials are readable just not always sharp) but otherwise it’s very very good for the money.

[roland35]

I think another possible explanation is that the battery was probably designed and developed in parallel with the camera itself - so during initial prototype testing they could pop in AA's even if the final battery was not available yet.