It's all about trade-offs with the battery situation. Apple chose to have the battery inaccessible because to make the battery accessible means you must constrain it into a small block which can be swapped by the user, this would complicate the iPhone's internal design and likely add to the size and weight to accommodate the extra casing around the swappable battery and the interface to exchange the battery (such as a lever or sliding case).
While it would make it easier to swap the battery, it would be at the expense of usability for something that only a small minority of users want.
I think they made the right choice. Most users do not need a swappable battery, especially with the downsides it would cause.
Get an iPhone and buy a $50 external battery if you really need the extra battery during the day.
I talked to a Verizon rep the other day while waiting to get a replacement for my stolen BB, she told me Verizon will hold out on carrying the iPhone until a removable battery is offered.
However, i think this is a ridiculous mistake by Verizon if it is the case.
Not only will this add to the bulk of the phone (and it will definitely affect the look of the phone), but it also adds a lot of chance for more things going wrong. Having a removable battery makes it possible for the battery cover to break, and the batteries to be lost more often. Apple wouldn't offer cheap replacements for high quality/life batteries, which would leave consumers paying higher premiums for replacements. With the chances for the battery backings being breakable, that would also up the amount of phone replacements they would deal with. This also gives more easy access to the iPhones hardware, which could be something Apple would prefer to protect. Besides, since when have we known Apple to give up form for functionality?They won't give up it's looks for a small public outcry!
The iPhone is completely perfect the way it is, and with the new iPhone 3G S and it's already increased battery life, there's no need for anyone to panic about batteries dying in meetings etc. Not many people have had issues with the battery yet, and it's just gotten better. Apple and accessory companies offer great solutions and chargers!
If Apple does any kind of insane re-vamp of the iPhone later this year or next summer, the Battery seems like one of the least likely things for them to touch.
They just finished re-vamping their complete laptop line with built-in batteries, so why would they go back from that in any of their products? It just doesn't make sense.
With how particular Apple was with Verizon the first time, it seems really doubtful that they'd cave into their removable battery requests now. Verizon is the one begging Apple to come to them, and even though everyone (including Apple) hate AT&T, it doesn't mean they'll meet a lame request from another company when they have a thriving empire elsewhere.
We'll see what happens come MacWorld and WWDC 2010!
