this post was submitted on 22 Apr 2026
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User replaceable batteries do not require phones that are "risky" to use "in a light drizzle". Decent IP ratings are possible even with those. It is just a question of good design. But such design can't be really expected by companies pushing glass phone backside for no other reason than that they are prone to break.
The last phone I had with a removable battery was over a decade ago. With proper gasketing, light rain wasn't an issue, but up until that point, while I was still in my midrange-phone phase, it totally was. I know people who put their phone in the shower to listen to music and would be aghast that everything hasn't always been IP68.
Plus .a few screws on the back shouldn't be too much of an issue, since the case will cover them.
They're possible, but nowhere near as easy. Every time you pop that back off you wear the water protection. Within a year of use my S5 was not IP67 anymore. And all those warnings about it not being fully sealed? Nah. I'll take a glued shut phone with glue that isn't insane over that any day.
Samsung phones do that without a removable back - they just use a shitty design software doing the detection.
Never had that problem on any other phone.
I have no idea what you talk about:
also iphones this days can be fully submerged in water with zero issues. I would not trade off that safety
Most people are hiding that glass behind TPU. It is pretty pointless other than being a durability weak point. You don't need glass for wireless charging. You do know that there are alternatived to metal, do you any they don't need to feel cheap either.
Glass backs are noticeably heavier, and they are definitely far more fragile than plastic.
I see approx 75-100 people per day and they have to show me their phone is switched off. Lots of them, especially the younger ones and manual workers, have cracked screens.