Hello,
(Apple sued over IPhone ! Bitch ! ;))
I knew Apple would get sued over this as soon as I read about this battery issue.
One question on my mind is:
Why is it soldered in ?
Why can't the battery simply be removed ?
Very strange.
Bye, Skybuck.
"Skybuck Flying" wrote in news:f8mskh$6h9$1 @news1.zwoll1.ov.home.nl:
That's Apple for you. They, for some reason, don't want users replacing batteries. Likely Planned Obsolescence.
iPods aren't designed to have their batteries replaced either. A lot of manufacturers proceeded to follow Apple's suit and now there are many MP3 players without replaceable batteries (especially smaller, simpler models where adding removable batteries really would tend to impact cost and styling).
Since there is plenty of precedent for releasing products with (relatively) non-replaceable batteries and making no significnat mention as such on the product's packaging (think... electric razors and toothbrushes...), I predict that Apple will prevail with nothing more than a slap on the wrist -- if even that.
Yes, we are thinking along the same line. We can cut production cost by if our device's batteries are fixed. But we don't need the customer to return the device, we can just need to send out a disposable replacement electronics and battery module.
The problem with Apple is that the iPhone is tied to the phone service. Do you need a second cell phone when the iPhone is out for "maintance service"? Or, should every customer buys two iPhones? Perhaps that's the goal of Apple.
And (hope to) create additional business profits from such "service". Problem is that at some point word gets around that there may be a competitor who allows the use of a somewhat standard battery, at least one you can buy at stores like Batteries Plus. After that many customers don't buy the semi-disposable stuff anymore (I don't). Then your luck runs out ;-)
-- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Just reasonable cost recovery. We don't need to "rob" the customers like Apple ($79 for battery?). We don't need to have usage disruptions by returning the devices. The customer can just pre-order the "tune-up kit" in advance. The "tune-up kit" contains degradable transistors (as others complainted) and batteries. It would not cost much more than buying from stores. The button cells costs $2 to $3 each in stores and $0.2 to $0.3 wholesale. We can provide at reasonable price of $5 to $10, including two cells and electronic board.
But people are still buying inkjet printers, plasma TVs and cars. They all need regular "tune-ups". It depends on how much you charge.
As others have pointed out, it is quite odd that Apple doesn't make the battery swap something that can be performed at their stores... you go in, hand the guy your iPhone, come back an hour later, and -- poof! -- new battery installed, no significant impact due to being without phone service. (Anyone whose life is disrupted by a planned phone outage of an hour *does* need two phones. :-) ) Hopefully Apple will wisen up and take that course... perhaps they figure they couldn't immediately due to the need to train techs or something?
No, it's purely for the money. They can train someone to solder in a couple of hours, if they really want to.
I think it is reasonable for the electric toothbrushes to have no replaceable batteries. Given the wet environment, if I had to manufacture such a device, I would want it completely sealed.
In defense of the electric shavers, you can replace the batteries. It just isn't a drop in solution. Philips has done a good job in fuel gauging and battery technology in general. I can't recall how long I've been using my Philips electric razor with lithium polymer battery.
Regarding Apple, there is no defense for their crappy engineering.
Depending on how much up-time you get out of it $5-$10 may still be a lot of money. For a rechargeable it sounds ok though.
Not me :-)
Except cars but there I make sure it's simple and low maintenance. All I have needed in ten years was one new battery and a set of new tires.
Oh, and I did have an Inkjet and I got really good at refilling cartridges with an ordinary syringe and ordinary ink from the store. I used them until the faces began to scrape off. Cheapest per-page printer I ever had.
BTW, I don't own an iPod, iPhone or any of that stuff and I don't plan to.
-- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Rechargeable doesn't cost that much either. For a $5 retail coin cell, we can get it for a little over $1 wholesale. Furthermore, you can get much higher than the 4mA standard current (we need 8 to
10mA). We are looking hard into getting them instead of disposable cell. The issue is whether to build-in the charger or a standalone one.
Probably a wall wart charger that already has all the agency blessings is best. Built-in chargers mean a lot of UL, CSA, VDE, TUEV hassle.
Check with Panasonic. I believe they make industrial grade coin cells that can stand more than 4mA.
-- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Interestingly ours (Philips Sonicare) came with instructions how to change them. When one croaked I tried it and found it was all potted up with epoxy. Inside there was AA cells but with solder tabs.
-- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
I'm using a Braun 3D (something like that). I don't believe it can be opened, but it has been running more years than I can recall.
Hmm... my Oral-B Triumph has instructions on how to remove the battery, noting that doing so will permanently "disable" the unit... because you're ripping off some power leads that are effectively then impossible to re-connect! (Kinda like a bee dying after losing its stinger...) They even have a little diagram of how you use a part of the base to open up the bottom of the brush.
Why do go through this rigamaole at all?
Because they say they're trying to be environmentally sensitive and would like you to dispose of the battery separately from the rest of the brush.
@!#$@#$)
On the up-side, brush heads for the Oral-B are cheaper than those for Philips...
But this would defeat the purpose of cost and size reductions. I am thinking in terms of a flat battery pack mounted directly on the PCB.
If we stick with USB charging and stay within audio frequencies, it should not be too difficult to pass regulations. I am thinking about a two stages booster. USB 5V to 10V booster for charging a 9V battery and a 9V to 15V booster for the device. By the way, I don't want an AM radio transmitter in the device (600KHz booster IC).
Or go all out and use an ISM frequency like 13.56MHz if it has to be really small magnetics.
[...]-- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
Yep, sounds like lip-service, doesn't it?
We buy them when they are on sale :-D
-- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com
How lazy can people get ?
Even to lazy to brush their own teeth ?
Gjez ;)
Bye, Skybuck.
It's a throw away society, the Iphone will be obsolete or worn out before the battery goes bad in 99% of them.
-- "I\'m never wrong, once i thought i was, but was mistaken" Real Programmers Do things like this. http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5
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