Cheap new phone with replaceable battery

[Adumbration]

I have a realme C3.  It is not that old.  It has been a good phone but the battery has swollen in the last few days.

 

I have the skills and tools to replace the battery, but it is an internal one so not a walk in the park.  I can buy the new battery online.

 

I also live in a village far from a repair shop that could handle the task.

 

So I think I will just get a new phone delivered via shopee or lazada.

 

I am looking for suggestion for a good cheap phone, but importantly, one that has and easy lift out/put back removable battery.

 

Are any still available in today market.

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[KannikaP]

15 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

I have a realme C3.  It is not that old.  It has been a good phone but the battery has swollen in the last few days.

How can you say that it has been 'a good phone' if it is 'not that old' and the 'battery has swollen'?

I got a Huawei Y9 2018 for Bht 7000 almost 6 years ago, and it is as good as when it was new.

[CharlieH]

MOVED to Mobile phones forum

[giddyup]

I bought a couple of cheap no-name phones from Lazada, around 1500 baht each that have replaceable batteries. Problem is when one of the batteries failed I couldn't find a replacement battery anywhere, so one phone is now useless.

[JayClay]

Removable batteries are all but dead in the smartphone world.

 

You may find some quirky chinaphone somewhere that has one but even if it isn't infested with spyware/adware, you'll have to make so many compromises on specs and features as to make the whole idea a no-go.

[Adumbration]

I have bought a new battery.  But delivery will be delayed because of Songkran for sure.  I will report back when attempting the replacement:

 

https://shopee.co.th/เเบตเตอรี่-Realme-C3-แบตเตอรี่เรียลมี-C3-battery-realme-C3-แบตRealme-C3-Battery-Realme-C3-แบตเรียลมี-C3-i.243710059.8901023571

 

[Adumbration]

47 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

How can you say that it has been 'a good phone' if it is 'not that old' and the 'battery has swollen'?

I got a Huawei Y9 2018 for Bht 7000 almost 6 years ago, and it is as good as when it was new.

Thanks for your suggestion.  I see they have refurbished 2019 Y9s on Shopee for 1490 baht.  I have also just order one...and I can use it as my fishing boat phone....

[NotEinstein]

Just a mobile phone?

https://shopee.co.th/โทรศัพท์มือถือซัมซุง-Samsung-Hero-E1205-(สีดำ)-ฮีโร่-รองรับ3G-4G-โทรศัพท์ปุ่มกด-i.299530624.5648184934?sp_atk=27038a8d-5688-4390-8f87-7f33c67ad7d9&xptdk=27038a8d-5688-4390-8f87-7f33c67ad7d9

[Adumbration]

8 minutes ago, NotEinstein said:

Just a mobile phone?

https://shopee.co.th/โทรศัพท์มือถือซัมซุง-Samsung-Hero-E1205-(สีดำ)-ฮีโร่-รองรับ3G-4G-โทรศัพท์ปุ่มกด-i.299530624.5648184934?sp_atk=27038a8d-5688-4390-8f87-7f33c67ad7d9&xptdk=27038a8d-5688-4390-8f87-7f33c67ad7d9

Thanks.  I have a couple of old motorollas somwhere about the same.   But I need smart phone.

 

[giddyup]

16 minutes ago, NotEinstein said:

Just a mobile phone?

https://shopee.co.th/โทรศัพท์มือถือซัมซุง-Samsung-Hero-E1205-(สีดำ)-ฮีโร่-รองรับ3G-4G-โทรศัพท์ปุ่มกด-i.299530624.5648184934?sp_atk=27038a8d-5688-4390-8f87-7f33c67ad7d9&xptdk=27038a8d-5688-4390-8f87-7f33c67ad7d9

199 Baht for a Samsung phone? I guess that's a phone only, not internet capable.

[Adumbration]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

199 Baht for a Samsung phone?

Yes.  But just phone not smartphone.  No good for me because I mostly talk on Whatsapp

[giddyup]

54 minutes ago, Adumbration said:

Thanks for your suggestion.  I see they have refurbished 2019 Y9s on Shopee for 1490 baht.  I have also just order one...and I can use it as my fishing boat phone....

Do you have a link to the one on Shopee?

[Adumbration]

31 minutes ago, giddyup said:

Do you have a link to the one on Shopee?

https://shopee.co.th/search?keyword=huawei y9 2019

 

[sometimewoodworker]

6 hours ago, giddyup said:

199 Baht for a Samsung phone? I guess that's a phone only, not internet capable.

I have one that I used until I got my iPhone SE 2.
 

It is capable of connecting to the internet, however there are extremely few apps that can be installed, probably by now few of them, if any, are currently available.There are few sites that can be accessed and maybe by now almost none due to https being standard, and few if any are usable on the tiny screen. Personally I never used the extremely limited (and difficult to use) connectivity. It works perfectly well as a phone and receives sms messages.

[connda]

8 hours ago, NotEinstein said:

Just a mobile phone?

https://shopee.co.th/โทรศัพท์มือถือซัมซุง-Samsung-Hero-E1205-(สีดำ)-ฮีโร่-รองรับ3G-4G-โทรศัพท์ปุ่มกด-i.299530624.5648184934?sp_atk=27038a8d-5688-4390-8f87-7f33c67ad7d9&xptdk=27038a8d-5688-4390-8f87-7f33c67ad7d9

Wow those are dirt cheap now. 

[connda]

8 hours ago, Adumbration said:

Thanks for your suggestion.  I see they have refurbished 2019 Y9s on Shopee for 1490 baht.  I have also just order one...and I can use it as my fishing boat phone....

How do you like the Huawei user interface and application compatibility as compared to Android if you've had an Android?

[phetphet]

This might be helpful

https://www.androidauthority.com/best-android-phones-removable-battery-697520/

[Adumbration]

Ok.  Report as promised.

 

I purchased a new battery for my C3 on shopee.  It was 258 baht deliverd by J & T.  It included a free tool kit and also a free tube of B 7000 glue.

 

I watched a couple of youtube videos on changing a C3 battery.  They make it look much easier than it is......

 

Hardest part was getting the back cover off without damaging it.

 

Then there were about a dozen tiny screws to remove backing plate at top end of phone.

 

Battery fitted nicely and I fired it up after pluggin it in.  Not problem.

 

Screwed the backing plate back in place. And put on the back cover....and done.

 

I had 9D glass screen protector on the phone.  It was cracked around the edges.  I had the phone in a waterproof pouch around my neck in my sea kayak.  I hooked a 100 kg plus stingray and it dragged my around for 3 hours before my rod snapped.  The rod butt was banging against my phone.

 

I thought that perhaps the screen on the phone was cracked as well, but I happily discovered, after peeling the glass protector off that it was intact and perfect.  I cleaned it off with some rubbing alcohol and last night ordered a new screen protector and robot case from shopee....total cost for both 84 baht delivered.

 

Battery charged to full 100% last night.

 

So for 342 baht I will have a refurbished phone with new 5000 mah battery, screen protector, and robot case.