Samsung, CPSC Say Galaxy Note 7 Owners Should Stop Using Them

A good argument for having replaceable batteries is that this recall could be done by just sending new batteries to everyone. Now, they have to replace entire devices.

I wonder if the aggregate cents saved per unit still amount to a profit despite a black swan like this. Based on how much they ship, and this only hurting a single product release I suspect it might

In fact, the lack of replaceable batteries is now becoming a consumer safety issue. Every city has a bomb squad who can isolate and destroy potentially explosive materials. This type of issue can be sorted out much more quickly, and much more safely, by having people turn in flawed lithium batteries to the local bomb squad.

Further, if the batteries were standard sizes then there would likely be replacement batteries readily available with a lower mAh rating that would work just fine, although with a lower lifetime.

In addition, if the batteries were standard sizes and replaceable, we could have a deposit on batteries of a few dollars. If you no longer need it, either turn it or hand it to the next street beggar that you see. Problem solved safely and quickly.

Never buy the first batch of anything.

Or it would encourage people to keep using the defective battery as a spare or old-age replacement.

For the record, I'm nominally in favor of "replaceable batteries". But I also don't see how having to open a case makes a battery "non-replaceable", either. If I had to choose between easily-replaceable batteries or easier to open cases that didn't use snap-fit, I'd choose the latter.