At a glance
1. Best overall
2. Best for U.S.
3. Best rugged
4. Best budget
5. Best flip
6. Best secure
How to choose
If you're looking for the best Android phone with removable battery, there are a few important things you should know. Although these phones certainly do exist, there aren't many options available in the market. More importantly, these devices generally come with a few compromises. These include old software versions (with not much in terms of updates), somewhat slow hardware, and might not be available at all retailers at all times. However, if all these things don't really matter, the sheer convenience of just popping in a new battery when the existing one has run out of charge that these phones provide, is unmatched.
Our top vote still goes to the Fairphone 5, which not only lets you replace its battery, but just about everything else as well. It has an OLED panel, runs Android 14 with support for up to five years of major OS updates, and even has an IP55 rating. However, since it's not available in the United States, you'll have to import it and make sure it's compatible with the wireless carrier of your choice. The HMD Skyline is also a solid option that you can buy in the country and offers decent set of specs and a user-serviceable battery. That said, here are the best phones with removable batteries that we think you should consider.
Namerah enjoys geeking out over accessories, gadgets, and all sorts of smart knickknacks. After writing about consumer tech for nearly a decade, she has become an expert in the Android accessories space. She spends her free time guzzling coffee, writing some more, casual gaming, and cuddling with her furry best friends.
At a glance
Best overall
The Fairphone 5 doesn't just have a removable battery, most of its components are user-replaceable with little to no effort. This highly repairable and sustainable phone is guaranteed to get (at least) five Android OS updates.
Best for U.S.
The HMD Skyline is like the Fairphone 5, but with better compatibility with U.S. networks. Coming in at under $500, it's not exactly cheap but it does have decent mid-range specs, and all the important bits like the display and battery are easily user-serviceable.
Best rugged
The Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro is a tough phone compliant with the MIL-STD-810H standard. It's also IP68-certified for dust and water resistance and sports a 4,050mAh removable battery with 25W wired charging.
Best budget
If you just want a basic phone for extremely light use, look no further than the BLU G33. It comes with a 6.26-inch HD display, along with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. The phone features a 3,000mAh removable battery and runs Android 13 Go Edition.
Best flip
Although it's a bit dated at this point, the CAT S22 Flip is still one of the best flip phones you can buy, combining a nostalgic form factor with the modern features of Android. It comes with a 2.8-inch TFT LCD panel, a 1.44-inch outer display, and a 2,000mAh removable battery.
Best secure
Tough and powerful, the Kyocera DuraForce PRO 3 adheres to the MIL-STD-810H standard and is IP68-certified for both dust and water resistance. The phone has a 4,270mAh removable battery and runs Android 13 out of the box.
Best overall
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The Fairphone 5 didn't make its way to the U.S., and that was severely disappointing for us all. This fantastic modular phone is easily upgradeable and repairable. You even get a full kit with tools when purchasing the phone, allowing you to swap out bits and pieces or fix broken parts yourself with minimum effort.
The Fairphone 5 comes with a neat set of specs, featuring Qualcomm's QCM6490 5G chipset, up to 8GB RAM and up to of 256GB expandable storage, stereo speakers, a 4,200mAh battery, 30W wired 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, thanks to an official IP55 certification. At a starting price of €549 (~$594), it really doesn't get much better than this.
Attribute | Quick look | Score |
|---|---|---|
Display | Large OLED panel with 90Hz refresh rate. Hole-punch cutout for selfie camera | ★★★★☆ |
Design | Fairly slim and stylish. Aluminum frame, but plastic back | ★★★★☆ |
Price | Quite expensive, considering the specs | ★★☆☆☆ |
Camera | Dual 50MP on the back with decent specs. 50MP selfie camera is among the highest we've seen | ★★★☆☆ |
Performance | Qualcomm QCM6490 SoC is based on the 778G, so expect upper mid-range performance | ★★★☆☆ |
Battery life | 4,200mAh battery supports 30W wired charging. Should be easily good for a full-days worth of use | ★★★☆☆ |
Updates | Five years, which is the best for a phone with a removable battery | ★★★★☆ |
Best for U.S.
The HMD Skyline might not be one of the best cheap Android phones, but it certainly is among the most unique offerings in the price segment. Most importantly though, it's one of the few good Android phones with removable batteries that can be easily purchased in the United States. You can buy it directly off HMD's website or even via retailers such as Amazon and Target. The main selling point of the HMD Skyline is that it can be effortlessly opened up and serviced by anyone, and this includes replacing the battery.
In our experience, the HMD Skyline reminded us of a cross between the Nokia N9 and one of the later Lumia models. HMD has given it pretty decent set of specs too, when you consider many of the other options featured on this list. It runs a slightly customized version of Android 14 and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC. You also get a choice between 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of onboard storage.
The rest of the specs of the HMD Skyline are notable as well. It has a 6.55-inch Full-HD p-OLED panel, a triple-lens rear camera setup which includes a telephoto unit, and a sizable 4,600mAh battery with support for 15W Qi2 wireless charging. HMD sells the Skyline unlocked in the U.S. and the company claims that it works with most carriers, with the exception of Verizon and all MVNOs that use its network.
Attribute | Quick look | Score |
|---|---|---|
Display | Resolution and colors are good, but not the best legibility under direct sunlight | ★★★☆☆ |
Design | Relatively slim but a little hefty | ★★★★☆ |
Price | Price is decent considering the high level of repairability | ★★★★☆ |
Camera | Telephoto camera is a nice bonus, but overall quality is average | ★★★☆☆ |
Performance | Expect mid-range performance but nothing that will blow you away | ★★★☆☆ |
Battery life | Sizable battery should deliver at least a full-day's worth of use | ★★★★☆ |
Updates | Launched with Android 14, but will get only two Android updates | ★★★☆☆ |
Best rugged
Samsung's devices 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 aimed at industry professionals like scientists and engineers due to its ultra-robust build quality. It also happens to be our best-ranked rugged Android phone you can buy. Although Samsung launch the Galaxy XCover7 a while back, we don't recommend getting it because it actually downgrades a lot of specs compared to this one, despite being the newer model.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro is a 5G phone powered by the Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC. You get Android 12 out of the box which is upgradable to Android 13 right away, and you can expect a few more updates as well. 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 dustproofing as well as military-grade resistance to extreme temperatures. You can even use the touchscreen with the gloves on. The one caveat is that the phone is still a little pricey for a mid-range device, and it certainly won't be able to go against top-of-the-line mainstream devices like Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
Attribute | Quick look | Score |
|---|---|---|
Display | Full-HD resolution is nice, but not at 6.6 inches. Only 60Hz refresh rate and water-drop-style notch | ★★★☆☆ |
Design | Relatively slim considering the rubberized exterior and waterproofing | ★★★☆☆ |
Price | A little expensive, but good deal during sales | ★★★☆☆ |
Camera | 50MP rear camera is decent. Front 13MP should be serviceable | ★★★☆☆ |
Performance | Upper mid-range performance. Supports 5G. 6GB RAM makes it good for light multitasking | ★★★☆☆ |
Battery life | More than a day's worth of battery life should be easily possible | ★★★★☆ |
Updates | Launched with Android 12, but Android 14 update was released in December 2023 | ★★★☆☆ |
Best budget
You may or may not have heard of BLU. It's primarily a budget brand catering to the North American region with most of its devices priced under $200 and lower. If you're on the hunt for something cheap with a removable battery, the BLU G33 is a decent option.
The BLUE G33 has plenty to offer for the price. There are all essential accessories like a case and charger included in the box, the device runs Android 13, you get expandable storage, and there are also practical extras like a fingerprint sensor and face unlock included in the mix.
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 can be a fairly good pick.
Attribute | Quick look | Score |
|---|---|---|
Display | Text and image sharpness will be low due to the resolution. Only 60Hz display | ★★☆☆☆ |
Design | Typical budget smartphone design and aesthetics. Heavy and thick | ★★☆☆☆ |
Price | Not as cheap as TCL, but quite affordable | ★★★☆☆ |
Camera | Expect below-average image quality due to low-resolution sensors | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Performance | Strictly designed to run lite editions of standard Android apps | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Battery life | Sub-par batteryy life due to small capacity | ★★☆☆☆ |
Updates | Android 13 (Go Edition) probably won't be getting updated to a newer version | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Best flip
Before smartphones took over the world, feature phones (often called dumb phones as well) used to be incredibly popular. If you're still attracted by the flip form factor but aren't not willing to spend thousands of dollars on a modern foldable, the Cat S22 Flip could be an interesting choice for you. However, do note that the company that used to make this phone, has shut down, so it might be a bit tricky to buy this thing.
Still, you get all the basic components of a "smart" Android phone, with the CAT S22 Flip, but the form factor is markedly different from any other modern Android device seen these days. It's even powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 SoC and has IP68 water and dust resistance. You can expand the storage via a microSD card, and there is USB-C charging included as well.
On the other hand, you get proper keypad like the days of yore. There are two displays, one primary LCD screen inside and a smaller secondary black and white panel on the outside. Although the internal display is a touchscreen, its minuscule size means you'll take some time getting used to it. In any case, you'll be better off using the buttons for navigation.
Attribute | Quick look | Score |
|---|---|---|
Display | Outer display is handy for viewing notifications. Inner display is tiny | ★★☆☆☆ |
Design | Flip-phone design has its own charm | ★★★☆☆ |
Price | Well under $100 for an rugged Android flip phone, if you can find it | ★★★★☆ |
Camera | Extremely basic cameras, good for scanning documents at best | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Performance | Mediocre performance at best. Don't expect to game much on this one | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Battery life | This would be average at best, despite the low-power displays and SoC | ★★☆☆☆ |
Updates | Some apps might not be compatible due to much older Android version | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Best secure
Kyocera's 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 options available out there.
The company behind this thing specializes in security and tech so naturally, you can expect the DuraForce PRO 3 to excel in this department. On top of that, the phone is just as rugged as the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro, with military-grade durability and resistance to water, dust, heat, and cold. It has a 4,270mAh removable battery which can go for up to 12 days on conservative use. The phone charges via a USB-C port, has a triple-lens primary camera setup, and even supports wireless charging.
So, there's a lot to love here but what's the catch? Well, you'll have to spend $900 for one of these, which is incredibly expensive for a phone in this category. It's also quite chunky and hefty, so consider that too when making your decision.
Attribute | Quick look | Score |
|---|---|---|
Display | Vibrant colors with sharp images and text | ★★★★☆ |
Design | Phone is a bit bulky and heavy | ★★☆☆☆ |
Price | Quite expensive for what's on offer | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Camera | Triple rear cameras should offer good flexibility for photography | ★★★☆☆ |
Performance | Performance should be manageable for everyday apps and casual games | ★★★☆☆ |
Battery life | Should last more than a day on one charge | ★★★☆☆ |
Updates | No word on long-terms updates | ★★☆☆☆ |
How to choose
Phones with removable batteries exist — you just have to know where to look
Android phones with removable batteries are far less commonplace than they once used to be, but they still very much exist. Overall, the one that we recommend most people go for 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 you feel like.
Unfortunately, the Fairphone 5 is not available in the North American market. As an alternative for the U.S. and other North American areas, we suggest the HMD Skyline. This mid-range phone is just as serviceable as the Fairphone, runs Android 14, and performs just about alright for the price.
If you need something more powerful, Samsung makes some of the best cheap Android phones in the business. The company offers one of the best and most robust phones with a removable battery, namely the Galaxy XCover6 Pro. The phone features military-grade levels of durability and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G chipset, which provides a decent amount of processing power for everyday usage. It's a bit dated at this point, but you can still get quite a few years of use out of this thing.
