Cell Phone Stores Are Working an Angle

[BristolCavendish]

This afternoon I thought my cell phone battery died and so I went about trying to procure a replacement.

What I discovered was that the majority of these proprietary cell phone stores (e.g. T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon etc.) don't carry replacement batteries for their product line.

What they do (in lieu of simply stocking the batteries) is try to sell you a new cell phone and/or service contract.

Their typical (and mindless) suggestion is to order a battery online knowing full on that many/most cell phone users cannot afford to wait 2-5 days for a specific lithium ion battery to be delivered.

I am beginning to suspect that this is some sort of time-honored sales strategy as many of my acquaintances/colleagues have been suckered into buying new cell phones rather than enduring the wait time for a new battery.

Fortunately, my phone resumed working after a second charging attempt. As it stands, I'll probably go ahead and order another battery (online) as a precautionary measure.

The mundane world of ubiquitous retail consumer goods is really starting to suck (as if it hasn't already).

[Tony64]

I didn't even know it was possible to replace a cellphone battery these days.

[GradyPhilpott]

You're lucky to still have a phone with an accessible battery.

I don't have any figures, but I think it's relatively rare for smartphones to still have such.

If a battery requires the installation by a tech, then the price for such a replacement goes through the roof and most people who need a battery would be more inclined to upgrade than to spend a large amount replacing the battery in an obsolete phone.

I also don't think that it's profitable for providers to stock all the batteries of obsolete phones, which as we know an obsolete phone is one that's more than a couple of years old, insofar a providers are concerned.

If your battery is user-serviceable, then surely there must be a store locally that specializes in all kinds of batteries. We have at least one here in Albuquerque.

[Syed117]

I had the LG G3 years back and I really enjoyed it because it came with an extra battery a dock to charge the extra battery.

Was very convenient to simply pop a fresh battery in and plug the dead one into the dock.


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[Star Ferry]

Their best angle is the penalties they charge for roaming and minutes/data overage. Which are high enough to be illegal in the rest of the developed world

As for repairing a broken mobile phone, I find that Samsung service centers are great. much more helpful than the Apple "Genius Bar"

[Bigblu10]

There cant be many phones that have user replaceable batteries anymore. Samsung phones are sealed (glued) together. Same as Apple. There are companies that replace broken screens and replace batteries for a nice fee. The phones need to be warmed up at the glue seams with a heat gun and pried apart to expose the battery. Most likely most will ditch the phone for a replacement. Samsung curved screen phones apparently cannot be fixed in the event of a broken screen. The phone has to be replaced with a new one.

[Alexwwjd]

I've been lucky my cellphone battery keeps its charge for almost a day (IPhone) and it's a +2 years old. You should not go to the cellphone store to buy a battery, buy one online and watch some YouTube videos to replace it yourself.


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[swils8610]

What?? They still make a phone with a replaceable battery? I thought those went away with my beloved Blackberry. Hey BC...are you still using a flip phone? One of those Jitterbug phones they advertise in TV?!


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[Ruud Van Driver]

If you have an iPhone and go back to Apple with battery issues, they'll usually sort it for you and typically at no cost.

[Chewbacca]

I'd pay to watch bc go at it with a Sunday shift phone jobber.

Damn epic.

[BristolCavendish]

Originally Posted by swils8610

Hey BC...are you still using a flip phone? One of those Jitterbug phones they advertise in TV?!

An older S5 (although I may consider going back to a 'slider/burner' for the sake of nostalgia).

[tritium8]

I just had the same thing happen.....but with my car!

[tyler1980]

external battery phones are probably not a big seller anymore. Most seem to have internal ones that you have to send in to replace. No sense stocking the store for BC's 1990's era phone.

[BristolCavendish]

Originally Posted by tyler1980

No sense stocking the store for BC's 1990's era phone.

Give me a break. Though it has been superseded by newer versions, the Samsung Galaxy 5 came out in 2014.

[tyler1980]

Originally Posted by BristolCavendish

Give me a break. Though it has been superseded by newer versions, the Samsung Galaxy 5 came out in 2014.

technology is an exponential growth curve. 2014 is pretty much vintage at this point

I was worried that by the time my pre-order iPhone X was delivered it would be outdated already since i didn't get it on launch day.

[Dnf888]

A couple of years ago, I took my daughter’s iPhone to apple to change the battery. They took about half an hour and charged me £80. (It was over 2 years old, so no warranty cover) However, when we tried to use it, it kept crashing so they immediately replaced it with no charge.


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[MrTwi]

Originally Posted by BristolCavendish

This afternoon I thought my cell phone battery died and so I went about trying to procure a replacement.

What I discovered was that the majority of these proprietary cell phone stores (e.g. T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon etc.) don't carry replacement batteries for their product line.

https://www.cnet.com/how-to/iphone-b...or-hire-a-pro/

Take it to an independent shop.

[Magwitch]

Simple problem to solve. We lower class people with diamond watches simply don't want, need, nor own stinking mobile devices.