Advances in smartphone technology are impressive. We have witnessed the iPhone’s incredible evolution from its initial introduction in 2007 to the present day, but this change has not been without its bumps. Companies rejected numerous plans, styles, and ideas, and only the trustworthy ones remained.
However, as technology advanced and business strategies grew more complicated, many businesses began ditching those dependable features in favor of more modern, theoretically superior alternatives. We’ll take a look at five valuable functions that have been removed from today’s top devices and discuss the impact their removal has on you.
Table of Contents
Absence of Earphone Jack
Headphone port removal may be the darkest. A phone without an earphone port turns off many buyers. Audiophiles and enthusiasts who understand earphone plugs know that.
An adapter works, but lacking a specific 3.5mm port is inconvenient. You must use one of those odd 2-in-1 adapters to power your phone while listening to audio.
Apple aimed to sell AirPods by removing the iPhone 7’s audio port, so many shifted to wireless headphones. As mentioned, fixed headphones are better than portable ones.
No Charging Brick Inside the Box
Like earphone ports, Apple eliminated chargers from the box. Apple justifies this move by saying you already have a battery at home. It reduces e-waste, improving the ecosystem.
This approach has four drawbacks:
- The phone’s boxed charger is usually the best because it’s made for that model. Any other adapter could harm your battery.
If you buy a phone that allows 45W fast charging but only has a 15W charger at home, you must get the total worth. - Buying a fast charger separately must be mailed in a separate box with extra packaging, resulting in more carbon emissions and waste. Thus, it’s more environmentally harmful than including an adapter in your phone’s box.
- After buying a new phone, you may give, gift, or sell your old phone and peripherals. This shift means you’ll need a new phone adapter.
Wired Earphones are not Included
Companies included wired earbuds and a battery, and apple’s 2020 iPhone 12 box was the first not to have these essentials.
The loss of AKG-tuned earbuds with Samsung’s flagship Galaxy phones was disappointing.
Profitable and cost-effective, the approach became popular. Wireless earbuds were making wired headsets less appealing anyway.
No MicroSD Card Slot
The norm was a microSD card slot next to the SIM card tray, which is handy. Android top phones no longer support it to make way for other components.
128GB onboard storage is enough for most people, so a microSD card is extra. More than that needs for power users who stream movies and apps, and 256GB is safer.
Internal storage is much more costly. Most top phones charge $100 for 128GB storage, which stinks because a microSD card of the same size costs under $20.
Non-removable Battery
Portable cells died first, and Samsung removed them with the Galaxy S6 in 2015. User safety, waterproofing, and comfort drove this shift.
Today’s smartphones have 5000mAh cells, and it’s risky but longer-lasting. Open phones with big packs are unsafe, and you don’t want your phone to erupt like the Galaxy Note 7.
Thus, enclosing the cell is best. Companies can better fit interior components, making the gadget smaller and waterproof. Sadly, this makes your phone less repairable.
US iPhones lack SIM card slots
The iPhone 14 model is eSIM-only in the US. Apple says that eSIM is more convenient but introduces two new issues.
First, while most US carriers allow eSIM, many lesser ones don’t and require a physical SIM card. If you’re with one of them, you must swap networks, which is inconvenient.
eSIM also prohibits foreign travel. A weekly prepaid plan for local network service may be helpful if you’re traveling abroad. eSIM is only used in developed nations, which severely limits your travel choices.
Smartphones Will Keep Evolving
Smartphone growth is impressive. Progress is laudable, but sacrifices can be sour. Non-removable batteries and no home buttons are understandable, but other changes seem like intelligent business strategies rather than technical progress. Smartphones will always amaze us.
