There was a piece on Radio 4's Today programme this morning about Samsung's decision not to include a replaceable battery in the Galaxy S6 and IKEA's announcement of furniture with wireless recharging points. A couple of experts were wheeled out to discuss the idea that manufacturers were more interested in form factor than battery life.
Is there any truth in this? Samsung aren't after all, exactly breaking ranks with their sealed-in battery. Very few manufacturers offer it. So, do you have a device with a replaceable battery and do you carry a spare, like you used to in the old days when batteries would run noticeably down overnight? I suspect not, which is probably why Samsung have reckoned it's not a selling point.
Of more interest is their decision not to make the S6 waterproof. That's definitely rank-breaking, when virtually every other manufacturer is making some kind of noise about it. Sony have even done away with the rather annoying little flaps on their new tablet.
Wireless recharging is also interesting. I don't think phone manufacturers aren't interested in battery life, but they don't make them. A lot of research is going on, but new technologies are hard to find and the electric car industry is driving (pun intented) the field as well. If a wireless recharging standard could be agreed, it does seem likely (as was suggested on the programme) that such points could be as popular as free wifi.
What's your battery life like? Does your device last until you get home or do you suffer from the dreaded "five o'clock fade" that used to be discussed when phones were just devices that would make calls (how quaint!).
