Android manufacturers abandon once-standard features as they chase new trends and trim millimeters from their phones. Many users only realized how valuable these perks were after they vanished from flagship Androids. Here are Android features that were once widespread but are now rare or extinct.
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6 Swapping your battery used to be the norm
No charger? No problem
Nearly all Android phones previously let you remove the back cover and swap the battery. You could carry spare batteries and recharge your phone without a charger or outlet. It also extended each device’s lifespan.
As phones age, replacing the battery extends a phone’s usable life at a low cost. However, manufacturers adopted sealed unibody designs for slim builds and waterproof phones. This design shift phased out replaceable batteries.
Another factor was user behavior. Many buyers upgrade every two to three years, and today’s lithium batteries typically last about that long before capacity loss. Manufacturers argued that sealed batteries were acceptable since most users would replace the phone when the battery wore out.
They also noted that users can pay a service center to install a new battery if needed, though it’s less convenient than a DIY swap.
Most major phones today have sealed batteries, but there’s regulatory pressure. The EU passed rules in 2023 requiring that phones sold in Europe be designed for easy end-user battery replacement within a few years. This means manufacturers may need to bring back accessible batteries (at least in some markets) or risk losing European sales.
Until then, the best workaround is to carry external battery packs, use ultra-fast chargers, or retire a great phone whose only issue is a worn-out battery.
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5 The headphone jack worked with everything
From aux cords to studio cans, one port ruled them all
The 3.5mm headphone jack supports earphones, headphones, and car AUX cables, making it a true accessory ecosystem. Audiophiles and casual listeners took the headphone jack for granted until it vanished from flagship devices.
Apple removed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7 in 2016, starting the trend. Android manufacturers followed and axed the port in premium models. Manufacturers cited several reasons. Removing the 3.5 mm jack frees internal space for a larger battery, extra camera components, and other hardware. The rise of wireless audio technology also supported jack-less designs.
With a headphone jack, you can plug into any audio source or speaker in seconds, from your friend’s aux cord to the gym sound system, without worrying about compatibility or battery levels. Audiophiles miss the high-end wired headphones. Gamers miss the zero-latency audio, the lack of Bluetooth pairing hassles, and that wired headphones never need charging. Plus, the jack often doubles as an antenna for FM radio.
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4 Expandable storage gave you room to grow
Storage upgrades used to be cheap and simple
Expandable storage was a hallmark of Android’s flexibility. Most Android phones offered microSD slots for 32GB to 512GB of additional storage. This was a godsend for storing music libraries, videos, and photos without paying the manufacturer’s markup for storage or a cloud subscription. You could also transfer files by swapping cards between devices.
MicroSD was a cheap, versatile safety net. For travelers or photographers, being able to swap in a fresh memory card for more space is invaluable. Unlike cloud storage, microSD works offline and without using data.
If you need expandable memory, some phones still support it. Sony Xperia 1 VI retains microSD support. Niche rugged phones and mid-tier devices from Motorola and Xiaomi also include SD slots.
Beyond choosing a phone with a slot, alternatives are limited. You can use USB OTG storage (external flash drives that plug into USB-C) for media, but that’s less elegant.
Nothing matches the simplicity of plugging in a microSD card. That’s why discussions still ask if it’s time for microSD to return. But for now, the era of widely expandable storage in Android phones is essentially over, much to our regret.
3 The IR blaster turned your phone into a universal remote
Your phone once controlled your entire living room
A few years back, many smartphones doubled as universal remote controls thanks to the IR blaster, the same infrared emitter technology found in TV remotes. Phones could beam commands to TVs, cable boxes, stereos, and air conditioners. It was a useful feature, especially when you couldn’t find the TV remote or wanted to mess with a friend.
Manufacturers haven’t given extensive reasoning, but we can infer a few causes. The industry shifted focus to IoT devices and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth device control. Companies assumed people would use apps to control their smart home devices.
IR blasters had a smaller core user base than the headphone jack, so it was an easy cut.
2 Physical keyboards made texting feel better
BlackBerry fans still swear by the speed and feel
Early smartphones often included physical keyboards like sliding QWERTY, BlackBerry-style candybar, or snap-on mods. Tactile keys offered a level of feedback and accuracy that users adored.
However, the market shifted as touchscreens and predictive software keyboards improved. The decline of physical keyboards is tied to the rise of large touchscreens and better software.
Virtual keyboards felt tight on cramped 3.5-inch to 4-inch screens, and physical keys performed better. But now, with screens that are 6+ inches, even big thumbs can tap on glass. Meanwhile, physical keyboards added bulk, weight, and moving parts.
Developers primarily build apps around touch input. Many who transitioned to glass typing got used to it, but a segment still longs for the tactile feel. Ask anyone who was a BlackBerry user, and they’ll wax poetic about physical keyboards.
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1 Squeeze gestures brought new ways to interact
It was clever, subtle, and sadly underused
Android manufacturers introduced a novel input method for a brief period. The sides of Android phones could be squeezed to trigger actions.
In 2017, HTC launched Edge Sense on the U11. Its frame pressure sensors launched apps, captured screenshots, or opened the camera when squeezed. Google added Active Edge to the Pixel 2. A firm squeeze summoned Google Assistant or silenced incoming calls and alarms on Pixel models.
Active Edge persisted through the Pixel 3 and 4 models, but Google removed it on the Pixel 5. HTC, the originator, exited the mainstream market soon after.
Squeezable frames failed to become an industry standard. Poor advertising left many buyers unaware of the feature. HTC lacked marketing reach, and Google didn’t push Active Edge. It was a handy feature that let you launch functions by holding your phone as usual. People who got accustomed to it felt its absence in newer models.
No stock Android phone retains the feature. However, apps like SideSqueeze+ emulate it using phone sensors to detect pseudo-squeeze.
Honorable mentions
Some formerly standard features have faded, though not all are universally missed. For example, removable SIM trays are on the verge of obsolescence with the rise of eSIM. Apple went eSIM-only on iPhones in the US, and Android may follow in the coming years. Even chargers in the box and bundled earphones, while not phone features, were standard, and now many brands skip them.
