Dec 10, 2018 Still, at least there are a few options. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the best phones with a removable battery you can get your hands on. The iPhone X also uses an unique L-shaped battery made up of two battery cells. Had these phones used a removable rectangle-shaped battery, they wouldn't get the stellar battery life that they do.
Glass designs, thinner profiles, and pleasant aesthetics have surged in the smartphone market, but they come with a sacrifice some of you may not be willing to make — removable batteries have become a dying breed.
Even if battery life is generally improving, being able to carry extra batteries and swapping them as you like is hard to give up. In an industry in which all the best phones tend to sport a unibody design, where are the handsets that still offer the versatility of a removable battery? Unfortunately, this leaves us with a pretty small selection of good smartphones with a removable battery. In fact, there isn’t a single newer flagship device on this list, the closest to making that cut is the two-year-old LG V20.
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Still, at least there are a few options. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the best phones with a removable battery you can get your hands on, which were released either this year or in 2017.
LG V20
The LG V20 is around two years old, but it’s still one heck of a device. It has a big Quad HD display, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 processor, plenty of RAM and storage, dual rear-facing cameras, and a removable 3,200mAh battery. What makes it stand out is the secondary display located above the main one — it’s something you’ll either love or hate.
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The V20 sports a headphone jack and a Quad DAC for an improved audio experience. It’s easy on the eyes, though it doesn’t look quite as modern as 2018 flagships due to its larger bezels. The body is mainly made of metal, with polycarbonate at the top and bottom chin. Metal is stronger compared to the glass used in most high-end phones these days and doesn’t show fingerprints easily — though it also doesn’t work with wireless charging.
Despite its age, the V20 is still available, but you won’t find it at many retailers. You can get it on Amazon for $380 — linked below.
Specs
- 5.7-inch IPS LCD main display with 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, 513ppi, secondary 2.1-inch display
- Snapdragon 820 chipset
- 4GB of RAM
- 32/64GB of storage, expandable up to 512GB
- 16 and 8MP rear cameras, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,200mAh battery
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- 159.7 x 78.1 x 7.6mm, 174g
Moto E5 Play
In addition to the removable battery, the Moto E5 Play also offers a nice design and an affordable price tag. The mid-ranger was announced in April and packs the Snapdragon 425/427 under the hood along with 2GB of RAM. The screen comes in at 5.2-inches, although the device isn’t quite as compact as you would think due to its large bezels.
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The phone runs a stock-like version of Android 8.0 Oreo and sports a fingerprint scanner at the back. It’s not waterproof, but it can handle a splash of water here and there thanks to its water-repellent coating. There’s only 16GB of storage available, which isn’t much these days. However, there’s a microSD card slot on board, allowing you to expand the storage up to an additional 256GB.
Now let’s talk price. The Moto E5 Play isn’t the cheapest model on our list of the best phones with a removable battery, but it is affordable — it only retails for $130. You can get it from Amazon via the button below.
Specs
- 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with 1,280 x 720 resolution, 282ppi
- Snapdragon 425/427 chipset
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of storage, expandable up to 256GB
- 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 2,800mAh battery
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- 151 x 74 x 9mm, 150g
Samsung J7 Duo
The Galaxy J7 Duo isn’t the only phone with a removable battery Samsung unveiled in 2018, but it is the best one. It comes with a dual-camera setup on the back with support for Live Focus, which made its debut on the Note 8 and lets you take photos with an adjustable bokeh effect.
The Samsung Galaxy J7 Duo was not released in the U.S. -- officially.
The phone also supports Face Unlock, so you can unlock it with just a quick glance. It’s not the safest thing in the world, so we recommend you stick with the fingerprint scanner on the front. Other specs and features include a 5.5-inch display, Samsung’s own Exynos 7885 chipset, and a 3,000mAh battery.
The phone launched India and quite a few other markets, but it did not make its way to the U.S. — at least not officially. You can get the international model on Amazon for $190.
Specs
- 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 1,280 x 720 resolution, 267ppi
- Exynos 7885 chipset
- 2/3GB of RAM
- 16/32GB of storage, expandable up to 256GB
- 13 and 5MP rear cameras, 8MP front camera
- Non-removable 3,000mAh battery
- Android 8.0 Oreo
- 153.5 x 77.2 x 8.2mm, 174g
LG K8 2018
This phone doesn’t impress in the specs or design department, but it’s cheap and it packs enough power for the average user. You’ll find a Snapdragon 425 chipset under the hood along with 2GB of RAM. Its HD display is on the small side at 5.0-inches, and the removable battery comes in at 2,500mAh.
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The LG K8 only has 16GB of storage, but you can expand it for an additional 32GB with a microSD card. There’s a fingerprint scanner on the back, sitting below the 8MP primary shooter. The handset, which was announced back in February, has a headphone jack, a 5MP camera up front, and ships with Android 7.1.2 Nougat on board.
As for pricing, the LG K8 won’t break the bank, costing just $140 on Amazon. It comes in a color called moroccan blue (image above), which may not be up everyone’s alley.
Specs
- 5.0-inch S-IPS LCD display with 1,280 x 720 resolution, 294ppi
- Snapdragon 425 chipset
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of storage, expandable up to 32GB
- 8MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 2,500mAh battery
- Android 7.1.2 Nougat
- 146.3 x 73.2 x 8.2mm, 152g
Moto G5
The Moto G5 isn’t a new device. It was announced in February 2017, but it’s still one of the best phones with a removable battery, thanks to its solid spec sheet, great design, and affordable price.
The Moto G5 will set you back around $150.
The phone has a 5.0-inch Full HD display and comes with the Snapdragon 430 chipset under the hood. Depending on the region, you can get it with either 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage or 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The fingerprint scanner on the front supports gesture navigation. The phone sports a 13MP camera with an f/2.0 aperture, phase detection autofocus, and a 1.1μm pixel size on the back.
The metal body gives the Moto G5 a premium look and feel, but the device is less modern than newer phones with thinner bezels. It wasn’t officially released on the U.S., but you can still get the international model on Amazon for a little more than $150.
Specs
- 5.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, 441ppi
- Snapdragon 430 chipset
- 2/3GB of RAM
- 16/32GB of storage, expandable up to 32GB
- 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 2,800mAh battery
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- 144.3 x 73 x 9.5mm, 145g
Samsung Galaxy Xcover 4
The Galaxy Xcover 4 is a rugged smartphone. Its MIL-STD 810G certification means the handset can withstand extreme temperatures, intense solar radiation, salt and dust, harsh weather conditions, and mechanical shocks and vibrations. If you’re clumsy and frequently drop your phone, the Galaxy Xcover 4 just might be for you.
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Additionally, the Xcover 4 also has an IP68 rating, which means it’s resistant to both water and dust. The removable battery has a capacity of 2,800mAh and there’s a 13MP primary camera at the back. Other specs and features include a 5.0-inch HD display, the Exynos 7570 chipset, and 2GB of RAM. The phone ships with Android 7.0 Nougat on board.
Like a few other phones on this list, the Galaxy Xcover 4 was not released in the U.S. However, the international model is available via Amazon for $160.
Specs
- 5.0-inch IPS LCD display with 1,280 x 720 resolution, 294ppi
- Exynos 7570 chipset
- 2GB of RAM
- 16GB of storage, expandable up to 256GB
- 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera
- Non-removable 2,800mAh battery
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- 146.2 x 73.3 x 9.7mm, 172g
Nokia 1
The Nokia 1 is the last and cheapest model on our list of the best phones with a removable battery. It’s an Android Go device, which means it runs a stripped-down version of the OS made specifically for entry-level handsets.
The Nokia 1 is among the cheapest phones with a removable battery on the market.
The main advantage of the Nokia 1 is its price — it costs just $60 on Amazon. If you only need a basic phone to make calls, send texts, and check email and social media every now and then, the Nokia 1 could be for you. It sports a 4.5-inch display, the MediaTek MT6737M chipset, and 1GB of RAM. The phone also has a basic 5MP camera, 8GB of expandable storage, and a 2,150mAh removable battery.
Although the battery size doesn’t sound impressive, it can get you around seven hours of screen-on time. Due to the small low-resolution screen and weak internals, the Nokia 1 isn’t a power-hungry device.
Specs
- 4.5-inch IPS LCD display with 854 x 480 resolution, 218ppi
- MediaTek MT6737M chipset
- 1GB of RAM
- 8GB of storage, expandable up to 128GB
- 5MP rear camera, 2MP front camera
- Non-removable 2,150mAh battery
- Android 8.1 Oreo (Go edition)
- 133.6 x 67.8 x 9.5mm
These are the best phones with a removable battery in our opinion, although there are a few other great options available. Which ones would you add to the list of the best phones with a removable battery? Let us know in the comments!
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