Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Mobile: Built-In Batteries Equal More Money For Device Makers


When Apple first made its iPods and then iPhones and iPads not user-friendly in terms of allowing us to change out the batteries, it was for look and feel of the designs.  Some what annoying but I understand why.  Also, not that many people like carry around an extra battery in their pockets.

But now, more and more of Apple’s competitors are doing the same thing except maybe for Samsung.  But why?  The same reason as Apple – design?

Maybe.

However, I have another theory:  battery cases.  They go from around $99 and up.  Meanwhile, you can buy a battery for the Galaxy S 3 for $40 from the carries or as low as $11 on Amazon.  Heck, the GS3, which has an user-replaceable battery, has a battery case as well for $99.

The last time I went out with a bunch of friends, there were plenty of iPhones about.  Half of us had battery cases.  Even if just 25% of the iPhone users also use a battery case, that's a lot of licensing money for Apple.

So, if these top device makers like Google, LG, or Sony license their names and allow for the production of battery cases and charge for more for it, it would provide an additional revenue stream.

Right now, what’s one feature of mobile devices that everyone universally complain about?  Battery life.

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