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Removable batteries were extremely handy in certain situations. For instance if you are hiking on a day or multi-day trip, you can simply swap batteries in the middle of your hike without having to stop your fitness tracking apps for more than a minute. Or if you are skiing all day with the cold and run apps while you're skiing, you don't need to head to the lodge to charge your phone, simply swap batteries. For me it wasn't something I used every day, but a few times per year made it very beneficial.
Err, how is that more convenient than having an external battery pack? You have to turn off and reboot your phone, which means your activity is being interrupted. Versus an external battery pack, I can just have it in my pocket/bag charging, and never have to worry about running out of power nor any interruptions on my activity.
 
Err, how is that more convenient than having an external battery pack? You have to turn off and reboot your phone, which means your activity is being interrupted. Versus an external battery pack, I can just have it in my pocket/bag charging, and never have to worry about running out of power nor any interruptions on my activity.
With swapping you are only down for a minute or two. Is it really practical to have your phone charging in your jacket while skiing, biking, or walking around? If you don't need your phone for an hour then sure that would work.
 
Samsung got rid of some of my favorite features (replaceable battery, use of SD cards, and having a phone outside that wasn't slippery as snot), plus I was unhappy with how long OS updates were taking to be funneled from Google to the manufacturer to the carrier to me, plus I liked the idea of having the same system on the iPad I use at home and the phone I carry with me (pausing to gasp for breath). I do miss actual widgets, but won't go back.

I'm on Verizon and need their network coverage, so Nexus is not an option
5x and 6p work on Verizon...........
 
I always switch back and forth betwen iOS and Android depending on whether I want to tinker or I just want simplicity. Right now, I'm too lazy to customize and tinker so I just want a phone that simply works. So, it's iOS for me. Truth be told, I've had all iterations of the iPhone with some Samsungs in between.
 
With swapping you are only down for a minute or two. Is it really practical to have your phone charging in your jacket while skiing, biking, or walking around? If you don't need your phone for an hour then sure that would work.
If you're wearing a jacket with reasonably sized pockets it works just fine. I've done it on numerous occasions while skiing. A good battery pack isn't necessarily huge. I'd rather just plug it in than having to turn it off and changing the battery to be honest.
 
If you're wearing a jacket with reasonably sized pockets it works just fine. I've done it on numerous occasions while skiing. A good battery pack isn't necessarily huge. I'd rather just plug it in than having to turn it off and changing the battery to be honest.
Guess it's user preference, I prefer to not carry around a battery pack and USB cable and have to leave them connected to charge.
 
I just switched back to iOS. I prefer android because I can do more with it but samsungs customer service made me get an iPhone. My Samsung s6 was in for repairs for two weeks. I was able to score a mint unlocked 6 128gb for $400 on Craig'slist.
 
Been with nexuses. Tired of crappy camera and poor hardware quality. Even tried 6p. But 6s+ is superior. When google makes quality nexus phone someday i may consider switch back.
Google did make a quality phone, it's called the Nexus 6P. The metal and glass build quality is just like that of the iPhone 6s. The camera is fantastic as well, ranked higher than the iPhone 6s.

I'm on Verizon and need their network coverage, so Nexus is not an option
Nexus phones have worked on Verizon for over a year, starting with the Nexus 6 and continuing this year with the 6P and 5X.
 
I have been on android for 4 years and decided to try iPhone again. iOS just works it's so simple. I hated the different icon sizes on android and the way it takes so long to get security updates. Battery been pretty much the same as my gs6 so I'm happy
 
I don't technically qualify to respond on this thread, as I have not owned an Android phone. However, when making my first smartphone purchase, I had every intention of buying one. However, when I went to buy, I didn't want to change carriers, and they had the 5s at a really good price and it is exactly the physical size that I was looking for, most of the Android phones that they offered were physically too large. Once I have become used to IOS and the Iphone, I don't think I will ever consider going to an Android phone.
 
With swapping you are only down for a minute or two. Is it really practical to have your phone charging in your jacket while skiing, biking, or walking around? If you don't need your phone for an hour then sure that would work.
Is it really practical to stop yourself while you are skiing, biking, or walking around to turn off your phone, replace the battery, and wait for it to reboot again?
 
Is it really practical to stop yourself while you are skiing, biking, or walking around to turn off your phone, replace the battery, and wait for it to reboot again?
It takes all of 1 minute. And yes, because you know that it's coming, it's not like you need to do it at an inconvenient time. If you stop half way through your day to get a water or bathroom break, that's when you swap it.

Besides, with a removable battery its just a choice, you can choose to use a battery pack instead. The biggest benefit is if you are traveling light you don't need to find a place to store a battery pack and USB cable, or find a way to walk with your phone charging.
 
It takes all of 1 minute. And yes, because you know that it's coming, it's not like you need to do it at an inconvenient time. If you stop half way through your day to get a water or bathroom break, that's when you swap it.

Besides, with a removable battery its just a choice, you can choose to use a battery pack instead. The biggest benefit is if you are traveling light you don't need to find a place to store a battery pack and USB cable, or find a way to walk with your phone charging.


I highly understood the need for extra battery backups while on Android.. However iOS has made me forget the need completely.
However highly spec'd / fast charge the android device might have, in the end the ecosystem will eat it up.
 
I highly understood the need for extra battery backups while on Android.. However iOS has made me forget the need completely.
However highly spec'd / fast charge the android device might have, in the end the ecosystem will eat it up.
You must have stopped using Android phones years ago, because many of the Android flagships vastly outlast iOS battery life and features.
 
You must have stopped using Android phones years ago, because many of the Android flagships vastly outlast iOS battery life and features.
Agreed and accepted

But I do have few friends using the latest Android devices (s6 edge, note, HTC M9, etc), its all fine in the beginning .. once they start putting in games and apps.. the end effect is the same after a month. However I have seen few users too using old android devices and they don't need extra juice, because they don't install much apps/games.

But still I agree, newer flagship android phones will outlast a new iPhone 6s (unless both are used much)
 
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Here's my take:

I work with both iOS and Android for work, though the iPhone has always been my daily driver. I have used an Android (Nexus 5) for an extended period of time though - 3 months while traveling.

Android Pros:
- Having a real file system. I hate using dropbox on iOS
- Having Google Maps as the default link for addresses and being able to choose how things open
- Not being limited to 16gb of storage on the lower/middle range phones

Android Cons:
- I mostly couldn't stand the constant barrage of notifications. Yes, I can go through and turn them off, but it's just overload
- Battery life feels all over the place like someone else had mentioned. (Recently have been using a Moto X 2014 2nd gen model)
- I hate larger screen sizes (5" - 5.2"), because the phone just isn't comfortable in my hand. I actually think even the iPhone 6s's 4.7" is a bit big, but it's far more comfortable than the bigger android models.
- The screen on my Moto X 2014 is terrible in daylight. I did some googling later and apparently that AMOLED screen has one of the lowest brightness settings of any smartphone recently.

I'm sure much of not liking Android is just about being overly familiar with iOS, but I saw no huge advantages to going with Android while I'm under a subsidized 2 year contract. If I was paying for a phone out of pocket every couple of years, I'd probably just get the Nexus 5x and learn to deal with it, though I hate the bigger size.
 
It takes all of 1 minute. And yes, because you know that it's coming, it's not like you need to do it at an inconvenient time. If you stop half way through your day to get a water or bathroom break, that's when you swap it.

Besides, with a removable battery its just a choice, you can choose to use a battery pack instead. The biggest benefit is if you are traveling light you don't need to find a place to store a battery pack and USB cable, or find a way to walk with your phone charging.
It takes more than 1 minute. You have to stop what you are doing, take off your phone from the case, turn it off, open the back, find the tiny battery somewhere in your bag, change the battery, put the back cover and put your phone back in the case, turn it on, wait for it to boot up.

and that is if you remember to actually double charge that extra battery, that can only be charge through your phone.

With an external battery pack, you just plug it in, done. To recharge it, just use any charger.

Heck, even Google stopped bothering with a removable battery on their design language.
 
Removable battery is a pathetic excuse. Also the first thing that happens to a phone with a removable battery when it falls is the battery cover pops out. Nowadays with fast charging and great battery life, there is no need. Can't remember ever swapping or wanting to swap batteries in the past 15 years of using phone.
 
It takes more than 1 minute. You have to stop what you are doing, take off your phone from the case, turn it off, open the back, find the tiny battery somewhere in your bag, change the battery, put the back cover and put your phone back in the case, turn it on, wait for it to boot up.

and that is if you remember to actually double charge that extra battery, that can only be charge through your phone.

With an external battery pack, you just plug it in, done. To recharge it, just use any charger.

Heck, even Google stopped bothering with a removable battery on their design language.
Dramatic much? You're describing a situation where someone looks at their phone and it's at 1%, and they need to make that emergency call and are struggling to swap batteries.

In reality, you look at your phone throughout the day and you may find that before lunch you're at 50%, or before dinner you are at 25%, point being you know when your battery is almost dead. So with a second battery you wait until you are taking a break, whether it be a bathroom break, lunch break, or waiting for your friend, and you take the battery out of your pocket to swap them. Sure if you have an Otterbox it's a pain, but many don't use cases, or use those thin silicon cases that slide right off. You don't need to power it down, you just pop the back off, swap them, turn it back on, and put it back in your pocket. When you go to use it again it's at 100%.

Now compare that to your scenario. You look at your phone throughout the day, see it hit 50%, then 25%, and you need to think about charging it back up. Now instead of finding 2 minutes in your day to be without your phone, you need to either throw your phone in your backpack connected to the charger, or have a clunky battery charging your phone in your pocket, making it virtually impossibly to use while moving until it's done charging. Then you have the potential problem where you thought you could be without it for an hour, but after 5 minutes something comes up and you need to leave.

TL;DR - A removable battery gives you the choice to swap them in 2 minutes and be right back at 100%, or use a portable charger. Without this, you have to use the charger and keep your phone connected for an hour or two to get back to 100%.

Removable battery is a pathetic excuse. Also the first thing that happens to a phone with a removable battery when it falls is the battery cover pops out. Nowadays with fast charging and great battery life, there is no need. Can't remember ever swapping or wanting to swap batteries in the past 15 years of using phone.
Sounds like you haven't used one in years. My original Moto Droid and Thunderbolt did this and it annoyed me, but everything since then did not fly apart when it was dropped. You'd never know it was removable as it's just as secure as those that aren't. Fast charging is great (too bad Apple doesn't have this), but doesn't help you if you aren't near a charger.

Besides, after 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, battery life degrades. Instead of sending it in for repair or following a DIY guide, you can buy a new battery and swap it yourself in a minute.
 
Guess it's user preference, I prefer to not carry around a battery pack and USB cable and have to leave them connected to charge.
Certainly. And I prefer not having to turn off my phone if I need a recharge :) But to be honest I haven't had to use my battery pack even once since I got the 6S Plus. Excellent battery life even with heavy use.
 
I switched years ago after my Android progressively got worse every day. Performance got slower, battery lasted shorter, and the amount of stuttering and crashing increased steadily. After about 6 months, the phone was almost unusable. This was back on Honeycomb, I think, but it left a horrible impression for my first Android phone.

I'm sure it's improved some since then, but I feel like I'd be gambling. I watch my friend's HTC One M8 take an absolute nosedive after the first year. Now, it won't even power on despite numerous attempts to save it. He switched to iPhone when the 6S came out, and he said his favorite thing about switching was "the fact that I can actually use my phone."
 
I switched years ago after my Android progressively got worse every day. Performance got slower, battery lasted shorter, and the amount of stuttering and crashing increased steadily. After about 6 months, the phone was almost unusable. This was back on Honeycomb, I think, but it left a horrible impression for my first Android phone.

I'm sure it's improved some since then, but I feel like I'd be gambling. I watch my friend's HTC One M8 take an absolute nosedive after the first year. Now, it won't even power on despite numerous attempts to save it. He switched to iPhone when the 6S came out, and he said his favorite thing about switching was "the fact that I can actually use my phone."
There was no Honeycomb phones. Only tablets. But I hear you. Unless it's a Nexus, manufacturer UI plus bloat kills the Android experience.
 
There was no Honeycomb phones. Only tablets. But I hear you. Unless it's a Nexus, manufacturer UI plus bloat kills the Android experience.
Ah, shows how long it's been then. It had to have been Gingerbread then. If I ever did go back to Android, it would most definitely be a Nexus.
 
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