As technology advances and matures, it’s only natural for some features to disappear as part of evolution. When it comes to Android phones, one thing that used to be an iconic staple that has since become a thing of the past is a removable battery.
Few phones are released these days with a battery that the end-user can replace, but if you know where to look, there are still a few options left that are worth taking a look at. Here are some of the best Android phones with a removable battery.
At a glance
Best overall
The Fairphone 5 is easily the best Android phone with removable and replaceable parts, be they batteries or something else. Too bad it isn’t available in the U.S. though.
Read more below.
Best for U.S.
The TCL ION V works well on nearly all American telecom carriers, making it the ideal choice for U.S. residents. It is astonishingly cheap, however, the specs are underwhelming.
Read more below.
3. Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro
Best rugged
The Galaxy XCover6 Pro is a rugged phone that ticks all the right boxes. Its rugged design makes it ideal for outdoor use, and the phone is available officially in the U.S., but it’s also very expensive.
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Best budget
BLU makes phones accessible to all with its rock-bottom pricing. You could forgo two meals in a day and buy yourself a BLU G33 instead!
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Best flip
Shake things up with an old-school flip phone like the Cat S22 Flip. The cell is removable but the device still runs Android.
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6. Kyocera DuraForce PRO 3
Best secure
Kyocera is a security expert, so of course the DuraForce PRO 3 is one of the most secure phones on this list. It’s chunky but super rugged, plus you get a touchscreen too.
Read more below.
Best overall
The Fairphone 5 didn’t make its way to the U.S., which was severely disappointing for us all. This fantastic modular phone is easily upgradeable and repairable. You even get a kit with tools when purchasing the phone, allowing you to swap out bits and pieces or fix broken parts yourself.
The Fairphone 5 comes with a neat set of specs, featuring the Qualcomm QCM6490 5G chipset, 8GB RAM and 256GB expandable storage, stereo speakers, a 4,200mAh battery, wired 30W fast charging, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and dual-SIM support.
Users are guaranteed five years of OS updates, meaning the Fairphone 5 will be good until 2031. It’s even water resistant, with an official IP55 rating. For €699 (~$764), it doesn’t get much better than this.
Best for U.S.
TCL isn’t here to blow any minds; it just gets the job done for a bottom-of-the-barrel price. You can score the TCL ION V for less than $100 with entry-level specs, as expected in this price range. Surprisingly, the device runs Android 13 our of the box and it’s guaranteed one year of support.
The rest of the specs are underwhelming. You get 3GB of RAM paired with 32GB storage, but that can be expanded up to 512GB with a microSD card. The TCL ION V has a 3,000mAh battery and 30W fast charging, which is nice to have in this range.
What makes the TCL ION V best for the U.S. is that you can easily use it on any cellphone carrier like T-Mobile or AT&T. It is also really lightweight, but that’s about everything you can expect from this device.
Best rugged
Samsung’s creations always rank among the best Android phones, so naturally it has to make an appearance here as well. You’d be surprised to know that the brand does, in fact, make an Android phone with a removable battery. It’s called the Galaxy XCover6 Pro and it’s usually used by industry professionals like scientists and engineers due to its ultra-robust make.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro is a 5G phone powered by the Snapdragon 778G 5G processor. You get Android 12 out of the box which is upgradable to Androiod 13 right away. It has a 4,050mAh removable battery paired with 25W wired charging.
Since the Galaxy XCover6 Pro is a rugged phone by design, it boasts IP68 water and dust proofing as well as military-grade resistance to extreme temperatures. You can even use the touchscreen with gloves on. The one caveat is that the device is a little pricey for a mid-range device.
Best budget
You may or may not have heard of the BLU G33. It’s a budget phone brand in the North American region with most of its devices priced under $200 to $100 usually. If you want something cheap with a removable battery, the BLU G33 is a good option.
The BLUE G33 has plenty to offer for the price. There are plenty of extra accessories like a case and charger in the box, the device runs Android 13, you get expandable storage, and there are extras like a fingerprint sensor and face unlock.
Unfortunately, the BLU G33 doesn’t work on all U.S. carriers. Still, if you’re on a compatible plan and want to have a removable battery in a cheap Android phone, the BLU G33 is a solid pick.
Best flip
Dumb phones were all the rage back in the day. If you’re still attracted by the flip form factor but not willing to spend thousands of dollars on a modern foldable, the Cat S22 Flip makes an interesting proposition.
You get all the basic components of a “smart” Android phone, but the body is markedly different from any other Android device seen nowadays. It’s even powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC and has IP68 water and dust resistance. You can expand the storage via microSD and the S22 Flip uses USB-C for charging.
On the other hand, you get proper keypad like the days of yore. There are two displays, one primary LCD screen inside and another smaller black and white panel on the outside. Although the internal display is a touchscreen, its minuscule size makes it really hard to use. You’re much better off using the buttons for navigation.
Best secure
Kyocera’s Kyocera DuraForce PRO 3 is just as strange and out of place in this era as the Cat S22 Flip. Still, for those who need a removable battery, it’s one of the best picks.
The company behind the phone specializes in security and tech, so naturally, the Kyocera DuraForce PRO 3 excels in this region. On top of that, the device is just as rugged as the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro, with rock-hard military-grade durability and resistance to water, dust, heat, and cold. It has a 4,270mAh removable battery which lasts for nearly 12 days on conservative use. The phone charges via USB-C, has three primary cameras, and even supports wireless charging.
So, there’s a lot to love here. What’s the catch? Well, you’ll have to spend nearly a thousand dollars to get yourself one of these, which is painfully expensive for a phone in this category. It is also very chunky and hefty, so consider that as well when making your decision.
Removable batteries exist — you just have to know where to look
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Android phones with removable batteries are far less commonplace than they once used to be, but they still very much exist. Overall, the one we recommend most people pick up is the Fairphone 5. Not only is the battery removable, but the entire rig is modular so you can upgrade, swap, and replace parts whenever it tickles your fancy.
Unfortunately, the Fairphone 5 is not available in the North American market. Our best alternative recommendation for the U.S. and other North American regions is the TCL ION V. This entry-level phone has a touch screen, runs Android 13, and performs alright for the price. You can remove the 3000mAh lithium ion cell by popping open the back plate.
If you need something more powerful, Samsung makes some of the best cheap Android phones. It has created one of the best, most robust phones with a removable battery in the form of the XCover6 Pro. The phone passes military-grade levels of durability and is powered by the Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset which provides a decent amount of processing power.