Best Android phone with removable battery 2025
Replace your ageing battery with a new one easily with these phones.
Modern Android smartphones can easily last a good number of years before you should even think of replacing them. Even a two or three-year-old Android phone today would still deliver acceptable service. One aspect that doesn't age well though would be the battery. Constant charging and heavy use can reduce the lifecycle of a typical smartphone battery even after a year. Replacing a phone's battery through official channels is not always an option and can be an expensive process.
Thankfully, the best Android phones with a removable battery don't have this problem. Simply snap the back cover off, pop in a fresh battery, and it's like you're starting from day one. The main problem is that such phones are a dying breed, with mostly specialized or entry-level models supporting removable batteries today.
Our best pick continues to be the Fairphone 5. Sporting an OLED display and decent internals, it has one of the best repairability scores and is our top choice if you need an Android phone with a swappable battery. We have plenty of other great picks too, so read on to know more.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
1. Fairphone 5
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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 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. In the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 9 territory | ★★☆☆☆ |
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.
2. HMD Skyline
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
The HMD Skyline might not be the best phone under $400, but it certianly is one of the most unique offerings in that segment. Most importantly though, it's one of the few good Android phones with removable batteries that can be easily bought in the United States. You can buy it directly off HMD's site or via it's official pages on Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Macy's. The main selling point of the Skyline is that it can be easily 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 specs too, when you consider many of the other options on this list. It runs a slightly customized version of Android 14, and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC. You get a choice between 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of storage.
The rest of the specs of the HMD Skyline are notable too. It has a 6.55-inch Full-HD p-OLED display, three rear camera which includes a telephoto, and a sizable 4,600mAh battery with support for 15W Qi2 wireless charging. HMD sells the Skyline unlocked in the U.S. and claims that it works with pretty much all major carriers (GSM and CDMA).
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
3. Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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. It's also our best-ranked rugged Android phone you can buy.
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. 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, and it certainly won't be able to go against top-of-the-line mainstream devices such as Samsung Galaxy S24 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
4. BLU G33
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
You may or may not have heard of the BLU. 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 also 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.
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 the 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
5. Cat S22 Flip
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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 could be an interesting choice.
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.
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 | ★★★★☆ |
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
6. Kyocera DuraForce PRO 3
Our expert review:
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
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 picks.
The company behind the phone specializes in security and tech so naturally, the DuraForce PRO 3 excels in this deparment. On top of that, the device 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 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 but 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.
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
Removable batteries exist — you just have to know where to look
Why you can trust Android Central
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 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. 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 alright for the price.
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 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.
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Namerah enjoys geeking out over accessories, gadgets, and all sorts of smart tech. She spends her time guzzling coffee, writing, casual gaming, and cuddling with her furry best friends. Find her on Twitter @NamerahS.
- Roydon CerejoContributor