Have you seen the article in January 2018 RadCom, page 74?
There are all sorts of new regulations about sending batteries through the post in the UK. The rules are even more complex than the rules about taking batteries on aircraft!
It seems you are not allowed to put ANY kind of used batteries in the post - whether or not they are installed in equipment. This would seem to preclude sending mobile phones, iPads, etc, which have non-removable batteries if these have ever been used.
There are especially restrictive and complicated rules about sending Lithium batteries in the post. It is alleged that there have been cases where packages have been seized and destroyed by Royal Mail with neither warning nor compensation.
A different set of rules applies to businesses which have an agreed contract with Royal Mail.
A lot of toys for kids contain batteries. There will be a lot of disappointed children this Christmas!
I have never, ever, been asked by Post Office staff whether a parcel contains batteries. However, they usually ask “what is in the parcel?” In theory, you could say anything … How would they know?
As far as I know only Apple phones have non-removable batteries. Android phones normally can have their battery removed. However what use is a smart phone without a battery (and just about every make/model uses a different sized battery).
I wonder if I would ship a smartphone with the british postal service in any case - most likely I’d use a courier service.
Like I said Android phones “normally” have removable batteries. Isn’t Wileyfox a US cartoon character - are they making kids phones with that character on them now?
In any case - batteries in packages is something to look out for - I presume there’s a possibility of problems with items containing batteries being shipped from outside of the UK into the UK (e.g. from China).
I don’t have my January Radcom here yet - I’ll take a look at the online version if that’s there.
There is no normal in phones. Removable batteries are marketing decision. My old Motorola MotoG has a fixed battery , my WileyFox (Longcheer LT-8500) Swift has a removable battery.
It’s impossible to predict whether it will be fixed or not.
I also hear that there is talk of going away from SIM cards - so that you can only get your phone from your provider (like it was with CDMA) - which as well as blocking cheap phones will stop the ability of a phone to use two networlks (very useful when wanting to spot from a summit where only one of the main two networks has coverage) but this getting way off topic.
My WileyFox Swift (which is not a kids’ phone!) has a removable battery and two SIM cards on two different networks. Very useful, as you say!
I would be very surprised if the regulator in the UK were to allow mobile phones to be supplied only by your network provider. I’m sure that would be regarded as a restrictive practice. Most phones nowadays are supplied “unlocked” from the outset, so you are free to use any network.
re [quote=“G3NYY, post:6, topic:16460, full:true”]
The latest models of “WileyFox” Android phones have non-removable batteries. They are on sale from Amazon.
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I’ve got a CAT S50 which has a non-removable battery, to enhance it’s ruggedness according to the manufacturers. A bit of a brick but I can confirm it’s survived being dropped from 1.5m onto concrete and immersion in water :-s
