The best smartphones with removable battery in the UK 2023

It's always frustrating to have to replace your smartphone when the battery fails and is embedded. This is the main reason why smartphones with removable batteries are always so appealing. Plus, it extends the life of your phone. To help you, here is our buying guide with a selection of the best removable battery smartphones of the moment.

Samsung G715F Galaxy Xcover pro 1
9/10

Best value

Samsung G715F Galaxy Xcover pro

The best removable battery smartphone in 2021

With its exceptional robustness, its detachable battery of 4 050 mAh, its version 10 of Androïd and its 64 Go of ROM the Samsung G715F Galaxy Xcover pro finds easily its place at the top of our classification.

383 £ on Amazon

Samsung smartphones are known for their responsiveness as well as for their elegant design and the G715F Galaxy Xcover pro is no exception to this rule. But the major asset of this model is its IP68 protection rating which guarantees a remarkable resistance to water, dust but also to a drop of 1.5 m. And the MIL-STD 810G certification ensures protection in harsh environmental conditions.

Another unbeatable advantage of this device is the dual 25 Mp and 8 Mp high-resolution cameras that deliver exceptional photo quality. This model also features optimized capabilities thanks to its Android 10 version and 64GB of internal memory, not to mention a powerful processor. As for the removable battery that recharges in less than 4 hours, it allows for long-lasting use thanks to its 4,050 mAh.

Samsung Galaxy S5 2
7/10

Best cheap

Samsung Galaxy S5

The best entry-level removable battery smartphone

A smartphone with a very competitive price that does its job well. Equipped with a 16 Mp rear camera as well as a Full HD screen, the Samsung Galaxy S5 resists well to water and dust.

143 £ on amazon

This Samsung Galaxy S5 may not be the best performing smartphone the Korean giant has ever produced, but it has some very decent features for the price. First of all, it has excellent water and dust resistance, which is quite rare in this category of entry-level smartphones. It is also distinguished by a super Amoled screen with a high resolution: 1920 x 1080 and a 16 Mp rear camera with ultra-efficient autofocus and selective focus, giving it a very good quality of photos and videos.

The 2800 mAh battery associated with a power-saving mode can last for long hours in intensive use. With its quad-core processor backed by 2GB of RAM, you certainly won't be able to play connection-intensive games without bugs, but the Samsung Galaxy S5 still does a good job. Finally, its last asset is undoubtedly its wealth of features such as the heart rate monitor or the S Health 3.0 application.

Fairphone 4 3
9/10

Best high end

Fairphone 4

The best high-end removable battery smartphone

An eco-friendly, repairable and durable smartphone of very high end, displaying remarkable performance: 5G technology, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage and a 48 Mp camera.

463 £ on fairphone

Fairphone has set the bar very high with this model designed from 100% recycled anti-slip plastic. Indeed, the Fairphone 4 is not only an eco-friendly and repairable model, it is also very resistant with an IP 45 rating. Thanks to its octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 750 G processor, backed by 6 GB of RAM, it offers a storage capacity of 128 GB. And the 5G technology and the Android 11 system are also there.

You also get a decent power for the battery: 3905 mAh that provide good autonomy and fast charging. Another point worth mentioning: this smartphone comes with a 48 Mp camera and a 25 Mp selfie, for excellent quality photos. In addition, with the Fairphone 4, you have the privilege of using the only TCO certified smartphone on the market. In any case, the price is worth it.

Gigaset GS4 4
9/10

The alternative

Gigaset GS4

A versatile removable battery smartphone

The S4 by Gigaset is a versatile smartphone with a removable 4300 mAh battery of 4 GB of RAM and most importantly a good 6.3 inch FHD display. NFC and Bluetooth 5.0 compatible, it has 3 cameras including a 13MP camera for selfies.

189 £ on amazon

What is immediately obvious about this smartphone is its elegant and timeless style and its tempered glass design with a perfectly smooth surface. But its performance is no less. Equipped with an octa-core processor backed by 4GB of RAM, it offers 64GB of storage space. This allows you to surf the web in peace, watch streaming videos and play games. To make sure you don't miss anything, you have a removable 4300 mAh battery that recharges in just over 2 hours.

The Gigaset GS4 also lets you capture good shots with its three rear cameras, including a 16MP main sensor and a 5MP wide-angle sensor. In order to view your photos, you will appreciate its 6.3-inch full HD screen that ensures an optimized visual comfort. In addition, this smartphone offers a Family link application through which you can control its use by your children. Finally, the GS4 runs on Android 10 and offers several security systems such as enhanced facial recognition.

LG V20 smartphone 5
8/10

Excellent choice

LG V20 smartphone

The best removable battery smartphone with a Quantum IPS display

Here is a great choice if you are looking for a smartphone with a removable battery at a good value. Featuring a 3,200mAh battery, 64GB storage and 4GB of RAM, it runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and offers a 16MP camera.

183 £ on darty

Its 64GB storage capacity and Android 7.0 Nougat version make this smartphone a well-made model in the removable battery smartphone branch. On top of that,the MIL-STD-810G certified LG V 20 can boast of its shockproof design, which is rare at the price offered. It is equipped with an Android 7 nougat operating system, 4G technology as well as a quad-core processor coupled with 4GB of RAM, allowing you a smooth, bug-free use.

To capture your best moments, this model has a dual camera of 16 Mp and 8 Mp ensuring beautiful shots.And as a good smartphone must have a battery compatible with its features, the LG V20 includes one with a power of 3,200 mAh. The battery, which has a lifespan of about 4 years, can last a whole day and yet it will only take you a few hours to recharge it.

Smartphone LG G5 6
7/10

Very good

Smartphone LG G5

The best Monobloc removable battery smartphone

A smartphone with an excellent grip thanks to its 5.5" screen. It has appreciable characteristics with its 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of ROM, its retractable battery of 2,800 mAh and its 16 Mp camera.

199 £ on Amazon

If you're looking for a smartphone that's easy to hold thanks to its 5.5" screen, this LG G5 model will satisfy you. It is a unique modular smartphone with a different design that allows you to remove the battery without removing the back cover. But this smartphone also offers other decent features for its price. Equipped with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor with 4GB of RAM, it offers 32GB of storage space, expandable via SD-card up to 256GB.

The LG G5 also uses Android version 6.0 as its operating system, which is newer compared to other products of the brand. As for the removable battery, it works at 2,800 mAh, which means it can last for a day or about 8 hours. Note that this model is equipped with a 16 Mp camera ensuring a good quality of photos and a lifespan of 4 years on average. It also comes with a module allowing you to enjoy other additional features (hifi, camera, etc.).

Buying guide • November 2023

Best smartphone with removable battery

Any specific needs?

The best removable battery smartphone in 2021

The best entry-level removable battery smartphone

The best high-end removable battery smartphone

A versatile removable battery smartphone

The best removable battery smartphone with a Quantum IPS display

Your guide : Samuel

Rate this buying guide :
4.8/510 votes

By rating this buying guide, you are helping us to reward our best writers. Thank you!

Comparison table of the best smartphones with removable battery

TOP OF THE TOP NOT EXPENSIVE TOP OF THE RANGE Alternative Excellent Very good
Samsung G715F Galaxy Xcover pro 7
9/10
Samsung Galaxy S5 8
7/10
Fairphone 4 9
9/10
Gigaset GS4 10
9/10
LG V20 smartphone 11
8/10
Smartphone LG G5 12
7/10
OUR SELECTION
Samsung G715F Galaxy Xcover pro
Samsung Galaxy S5
Fairphone 4
Gigaset GS4
LG V20 smartphone
Smartphone LG G5
With its exceptional robustness, its detachable battery of 4 050 mAh, its version 10 of Androïd and its 64 Go of ROM the Samsung G715F Galaxy Xcover pro finds easily its place at the top of our classification.
A smartphone with a very competitive price that does its job well. Equipped with a 16 Mp rear camera as well as a Full HD screen, the Samsung Galaxy S5 resists well to water and dust.
An eco-friendly, repairable and durable smartphone of very high end, displaying remarkable performance: 5G technology, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage and a 48 Mp camera.
The S4 by Gigaset is a versatile smartphone with a removable 4300 mAh battery of 4 GB of RAM and most importantly a good 6.3 inch FHD display. NFC and Bluetooth 5.0 compatible, it has 3 cameras including a 13MP camera for selfies.
Here is a great choice if you are looking for a smartphone with a removable battery at a good value. Featuring a 3,200mAh battery, 64GB storage and 4GB of RAM, it runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and offers a 16MP camera.
A smartphone with an excellent grip thanks to its 5.5" screen. It has appreciable characteristics with its 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of ROM, its retractable battery of 2,800 mAh and its 16 Mp camera.
RAM
4 GB
2 GB
6 GB
4 GB
4 GB
4 GB
Display
Full HD 6.3"
FHD 5.2"
Full HD, 6.3"
Full HD 6.3"
HD, 5.7"
HD, 5.3"
Battery power
4,050 mAh
2,800 mAh
3905 mAh
4300 mAh
3,200 mAh
2,800 mAh
Internal storage
64 GB
16 GB (expandable to 128 GB via SD card)
128 GB
64 GB
64 GB
32 GB
Camera
25 Mp + 8 Mp
16 Mp
48 Mp + 25 Mp
16 Mp + 5 Mp + 2 Mp
16 Mp 8 Mp + 5 Mp
16 MP + 8 MP
SIM card
Dual SIM 4G
Dual SIM 4G
Dual SIM 5G
Dual SIM 3G/4G
Dual SIM 4G
Dual SIM 4G
Operating system
Android 10
Android 4.4.2 (KitKat)
Android 11
Android 10
Nougat 7.0
Android 6.0

Help us improve this table:
Report an error, request the addition of a feature to the table, or suggest another product. Thank you for your kindness!

Buying guide - smartphone with removable battery

Primary Item (H2)Sub Item 1 (H3)

Why can you trust us?

Why you can trust us
Our mission
How to support us
We do NOT accept any sponsored posts or advertising.

We spend thousands of hours each year studying the major specialized websites, analyzing products of hundreds of brands and reading user feedback to advise you on the best products.

Our mission is to simplify your purchasing decisions.

We are a product review company with a single mission: to simplify your buying decisions. Our research and testing helps millions of people every year find the best products for their personal needs and budget.

We are a small team of geeks and enthusiasts.

To support us you can: use our links to make your purchases (which often earns us a small commission), share our articles on social networks, or recommend our site on your blog. Thanks in advance for your support!

How to choose your smartphone with removable battery

To know the best smartphone with removable battery that is right for you, you need to consider major criteria like battery life, battery life, charging time, type, but also other features of the device.

#1 - Battery life

In general, the life of a battery is between 3 to 5 years. For more longevity, you should take the utmost care of it. On average, the original energy battery can withstand more than 1,000 recharge cycles before it gradually fails and loses its ability to store energy.

#2 - Battery life

To know the battery life of your device at the time of purchase, you should focus on the power of the battery. A battery is considered powerful from 2,600 mAh. From this threshold power, a smartphone will last about 8 hours, enough to accompany you all day.

#3 - The loading time of the smartphone

Knowing how long it takes to recharge your battery is a must. The faster it fills up, the more practical it will be. Indeed, if your smartphone takes less time to fully charge, unlike its counterparts, you will have more time to use it and you will avoid charging it all night long.

#4 - The type of battery

There are several types of batteries, the most common of which are Li-Ion, which are composed of metallic and ionic lithium. The number of terminals, as well as their shapes, categorize a battery. Therefore, batteries with three flat terminals are easier to find than those with four terminals, whether they are flat or hollow.

#5 - Other technical characteristics of the smartphone

Other features to check are the energy to power ratio, ergonomics and strength of the laptop. You can start by analyzing the speed of the processor, then you should check the expansion of the phone's storage memory and finally, the resistance to shock and water.

How to maintain a smartphone with removable battery?

The maintenance of a smartphone with removable battery requires some manipulations that often seem trivial, for some users. And yet, it is important to do so in order to ensure a longer life for this essential component that is the battery.

Every battery, regardless of the brand, has a charging cycle predefined by the manufacturer. Most of the time, this kind of battery has an average cycle between 500 and 1000 before losing power, even if it means not storing any more energy. Therefore, it is essential to get information from the seller beforehand to avoid unpleasant surprises.

It is de rigueur not to let the battery discharge completely. This is because the chemical constituents of this component may become destabilized. In other words, the cells contained in the device may be irreversibly altered. This makes it impossible to recharge the battery, even when charging directly with a desktop charger.

Many people tend to charge their smartphones at night. And yet, as a matter of fact, most of the models on the market are subject to explosions as a result of overcharging. Therefore, it is necessary to comply with the maximum charging time prescribed in the user manual of the device.

The different types of smartphones with removable battery

In the world of smartphones, there are two major rivals that are Android and iOS smartphones. Whether in the category of one or the other, there are smartphones with removable batteries.

Android smartphones with removable battery

Smartphones with removable batteries under the Android operating system are constantly evolving. They can compete with those with built-in batteries. More powerful and easier to use, removable battery Android smartphones are more common among phone vendors. Since Android is an open system, you can more easily change the interfaces. Android phone batteries are often easier to find on the market than Iphones, which are more scarce or impossible to acquire.

Smartphones with removable battery under iOS

iOS smartphones with removable batteries are either ancestors of current iPhones or part of the next generations. It is true that the Apple brand has not designed smartphones with removable batteries for various reasons. Whether it is to save money in the manufacture of smartphones, but also for a question of marketing, the batteries are mostly integrated and make maintenance more difficult. In accordance with all this, if you happen to find iPhones with a removable battery, the latter may not be genuine.

Smartphone with removable battery or integrated battery?

Smartphone with removable battery

The fact that the battery can be removed is a good point for those who appreciate simplicity. Indeed, you can have a second battery that you can use alternately with the phone during your trips. Thus, you can have more autonomy. The only concern is that if your mobile is not waterproof, all its components may deteriorate faster.

Smartphone with integrated battery

Currently, smartphones with built-in batteries are flooding the market. They usually have a fairly high water and dust resistance rating. Their casing is more compact and it's sometimes impossible to open it without a special tool kit. This is both an advantage and a drawback because you will have to pay a technician to replace your battery if it fails.

Verdict

A non-removable battery represents "progress" according to many, however, it is inconvenient for maintenance even though it offers greater protection to the smartphone. In addition, these built-in batteries remain less efficient than removable ones, although the latter expose the phone's components to the elements. However, a waterproof case could easily solve this problem. If you're looking for power and durability instead, a smartphone with a removable battery may be a good option. Otherwise, a smartphone with a built-in battery will suit you just as well.

Why buy a smartphone with a removable battery?

With a battery that can be changed, if it fails, it will not be necessary to buy a new laptop. Instead, you can simply change the battery, which is cheaper. Also, replacing a removable battery is easier than paying a technician to do it if you have a built-in battery.

By getting a removable battery, you can buy a second one to get even more out of your smartphone. Which is more or less convenient if you need to work on your device continuously or if it is impossible to charge your smartphone when you are traveling. Buying a second battery will cost you less than buying "power banks" that wear out faster than regular batteries.

If a bug occurs in your smartphone, you can easily remove the battery to restart it. When the smartphone is overheated, no buttons work and the screen stays frozen. Therefore, the use of a removable battery is more recommended to turn off the smartphone and restart it.

In case your phone falls into water, removing the battery and placing the phone in a rice bag will dry it out much faster. As the so-called modern smartphones come with the built-in batteries, you will not be able to open the device. Therefore, it will dry, but very slowly. Or it may not dry at all.

In other words, a removable battery has several advantages, both economic and practical. It is important to remember that a removable battery is easier to use and guarantees a longer life than a non-removable one. In addition, non-removable batteries have many disadvantages. They are more expensive to maintain and their solidity or authenticity is more difficult to verify than that of removable batteries.

Tips

Don't charge your smartphone all night

You should not charge your battery all night. Indeed, prolonged recharging, contrary to what the manufacturers advise, can create overloads. These wear out the batteries prematurely and also overheat the device.

Do not use your smartphone while it is charging

Handling a smartphone while charging is strongly discouraged. This deteriorates the particles in your battery and causes the processor to overheat, which can lead to an explosion of the device.

Turn off the screen to increase loading speed

The

screen display requires energy from your battery. Because of this, to increase the charging speed, it is best to turn off your screen. In addition, this will prevent

device from overheating.

Know how to recognize a faulty battery

A faulty battery is easy to recognize. First, it drains more quickly. Then, your device will take longer to start up, even if it doesn't start at all. To make sure that the battery is really failing, you can see if the terminals are sulphated or have a rust-like color.

Don't throw away your damaged batteries just anywhere

Disposing of a failing battery at the right time and place is an act of environmental preservation. If you want to dispose of it, you should first check to see if it is really unusable. Then, you can give it to a telephone technician or put it in the recycling bins. If not, you can always send it to the designated waste disposal center. This way, the harmful particles in the battery will not affect nature.

FAQ

Should we expect to see no more smartphones with removable batteries soon?

Certainly, as brands manufacture less and less removable batteries, this kind of smartphone may disappear in a few years.

What parameters affect the autonomy of a smartphone with removable battery?

Even putting your smartphone to sleep affects your battery life. The same goes for brightness intensity, different data, Wi Fi, Bluetooth and connection sharing which make your smartphone consume the most power. Hence, activating all these settings will increase the power requirement.

What is the best capacity for a removable battery?

Currently, the best capacity a battery can have is 8,000 mAh, which is huge for a smartphone battery. This power not only allows for a battery life of over 24 hours, but also, a lifespan that can exceed 5 years at the base of the product.

When should you consider replacing a smartphone battery?

Getting rid of your battery becomes essential when it fails in autonomy, shorts out when charging and ends up not powering your phone properly.

Where to find a new battery for a smartphone with a removable battery?

Usually, phone dealers have removable batteries if you want to buy one. Also feel free to consult the brand's supplier if you need one.

Sources

Note: Below are some of the sources we have consulted in writing this article. Links to other sites are not continuously updated. It is therefore possible that a link may not be found. Please use a search engine to find the desired information.
  1. , Proximus.be
  2. , Community.anker
  3. , Lefigaro.fr
  4. , Lastucerie.fr
  5. , Technoluxpro.com
  6. , Jechange.fr
  7. , Wikoandco.com
  8. , Echosdunet.net
  9. , androidcentral.com
  10. , thedroidguy.com
  11. , lesnumeriques.com
  12. , kimovil.com
  13. , fr.technobezz.com
  14. , story.backmarket.fr
  15. , phonandroid.com
  16. , amazon.co.uk
  17. , astuces-pratiques.fr
  18. , fr.mobiletechxpress.com
  19. , knowyourmobile.com
  20. , ecofone.fr
  21. , fnac.com
  22. , phonandroid.com
  23. , telephone-smartphone.com
  24. , aphadolie.com
  25. , astucetech.net
  26. , ldlc.com
  27. , ldlc.com
  28. , cnetfrance.fr
  29. , frandroid.com
  30. , pointgphone.com
See more

Updates

March 2022 : Translation of this buying guide from our partner meilleurtest.fr

See more
Our selection
Samsung G715F Galaxy Xcover pro 13
Samsung G715F Galaxy Xcover pro
Samsung Galaxy S5 14
Samsung Galaxy S5
Fairphone 4 15
Fairphone 4
Gigaset GS4 16
Gigaset GS4
LG V20 smartphone 17
LG V20 smartphone

Lecteurs

Every month we help more than 1 000 000 people buy better and smarter.

Copyright © 2022 - Made with by buyingbetter.co.uk

Your reviews and buying guides 0% advertising, 100% independent!