On Tue, 11 Oct 2016 09:56:49 -0400, Mike Duffy
wrote:

On Tue, 11 Oct 2016 02:21:35 -0400, wrote:

Maybe the smartphones are just bad news all the way around.
I'll stick with my old $20 flip phone. The only thing wrong with the
batteries in them, is that they only last about 1 - 1/2 years. I'm on my
3rd battery on this 4 year old phone, and it's needing to be charged
twice daily now. I think I'll spend the $20 to get a newer flip phone
this time around.

A flip phone without the screen, wi-fi, bluetooth, camera, etc. could
probably last a few days on a pair of Ni-H AAAs. Then, if they require
recharging and you want to call 911 while you're out in the bush because
you've shot yourself in the foot, you can just take the alcalines out of
your 'scope laser.

I know that lithium polymer batteries have a higher charge density, but
there's nothing that beats the convenience of getting fresh batteries in
(dare I say it) a convenience store.

I have never seen a flip phone that runs on AAA batteries. They all have
a dedicated flat battery, which can be costly. A place called "Batteries
Plus", quoted me just under $50. I told the guy I only paid $20 for the
phone (with battery/charger). I was gonna just buy another phone, but
then I found the batteries on Ebay for about $6 (shipped). I have since
bought them twice, and they all lasted as long as the original one. (1.5
years). But the phone itself is badly worn, so I think I'm gonna get a
new one this time.

I wish I could just use common AAA batteries....

Thats just like I was looking at a digital camera in the store. Nice
camera, but as soon as I found out it needed a special dedicated battery
pack (which costs $60), I put the camera back on the shelf and left the
store. Most of my photos are taken outdoors, in places where there are
no outlets to plug in a charger. I'll just stick with my old camera that
uses common AA alkaline or rechargable batteries. (I always carry
spares, and almost every gas station and store sells them.