Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro 4G. From 2022 but there are newer models. So stop saying HUR HUR WATER RESISTANCE when people ask for phones with swappable batteries. This shows it can be done.
Edit: was $120, now sold out.
Too bad it’s samsung. Never again will samsung see a dime from me
Over the years I’ve found, in the grand scheme, unless the CEO murdered your family, who cares? I didn’t buy Sony products for a couple of decades, right now I don’t even remember why I stopped. I think it was around shit warranty handling. Meanwhile, I was removing viable options from my purchase pool.
More recently, I’m just trying to make my purchase decisions like I’m a business. Does the item at a given price fill the needs of the role? Does buying the year-old model at heavy discount fit the need? Avoid the top-tier release-day buzz, buy at a discount, use the tool as long as possible. These techniques collectively will stifle all the “economy” they’re trying to make a profit from.
Vendors that are truly terrible will lose customers. One person’s soapbox won’t affect them, however, despite best efforts.
Samsung is great until you have to deal with their absolute shit tier support. Ill happily buy any other brand just to avoid that even if they most likely dont have anything better.
What happened?
I had a waterproof phone from around 2012 that had a swappable battery, who’s claiming you can’t?
The Galaxy S5 from around 2012 was water resistant but maybe not at ipx68 level and idk about its shock resistance. The Xcover is even more clear cut. And every time the topic comes up, some tech apologist says batteries have to be sealed in the phone because water resistance. But it’s just greed.
The argument that you can’t have water proof replaceable batteries is silly, and it’s very obviously false, lots of gadgets do that.
Some make similar claims with mini jack, but that too is absolutely possible, for instance Sony has/had that.
It’s the same principle as waterproofing an USB/charging conecter, and AFAIK ALL phones with IP68 rating have USB/Charging ports.Unfortunately if your IP68 phone has a glass back, that can easily crack, and that will compromise the IP68 feature.
In that way, my IP68 phone was only intact for 4 months. 😱Once I read somewhere it was because it made possible for them to make phones thinner.
There is that, but then a point case thickens it up again. Anyway there is always someone who says water resistance. I myself would love an 18650-powered phone.
It’s true. An integrated battery means only one case layer. A removable battery has a phone case and two sides on the battery case. That’s a couple millimeters.
Currently I’m using a Pixel 8 and I’ll wait to buy the next model when EU obligate them to sell the phone with swappable battery
People vastly misinterpreted this EU ruling. Having pull tabs, or the new thing Apple is doing, is already enough to be in line with the requirements. Since the phones have water resistance, they are technically designed to work under water, thus they aren’t required to have an easily accessible battery cover.
thus they aren’t required to have an easily accessible battery cover.
Eyeroll
Even my action cam has a swappable battery and is literally designed to be put underwater (probably even more than a phone).
Why. Can’t. Laws. For. One. Time. Actually. Be. Useful.Since the phones have water resistance, they are technically designed to work under water
Oh, so a device that offers no warranty in case of water damage (because you’re not supposed to expose it to water) can use an IP certification as a loophole to completely avoid this law? That’s not good
That won’t happen. At best it will be user replaceable without big hassle. Swappable means you pop off the cover and change the battery in a few seconds without tools. So you can carry a spare charged battery instead of a power bank.
I have fond memories of being at a music festival with my LG G4 and 2 extra batteries.
No charging my phone, just pop in a new one when needed. Can even leave one back at camp to charge for the next day
😢
TIL woot still exists and has simply become Amazon.
Yes I know it’s owned by Amazon
It’s Amazon Outlet
Yes but the layout is pretty much Amazon at this point. Didn’t used to be. Used to be one item per day and then some awesome t-shirt as a side offer and some other tchochkes
I have the xcover pro 6 and I love it
I have fallen and landed with my full 200 pounds on the phone held in my hand grinding across 2 feet of asphalt. The scratch on the case is barely visible.
I walk the dogs on the beach at night, dropped the phone in the surf and watched the lit screen at night in the dark washed up the beach 20 feet away from me under the wave. I’m still typing on this indestructible beast.
You will pry my xcover pro 6 with swappable battery out of my cold dead hands.
sent from my Xcover6 Pro.
Replaced my xcover, which replaced my lg g5. Wish it got more love in the foss OS department. Love all the hardware features but dont love samsung. First party support for a phone like this though is a benefit
I have it too. The camera could be better but other than that I have no complaints. Coming from LG V20, going back to a device with built-in battery was simply not an option. I would have considered fairphone but they removed the headphone jack which is a dealbreaker for me.
