Modern technology is awesome, and there are some really cool things new Android phones are doing these days. For example, we’re still amazed by the capabilities of the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, and it’s just one example of Android phones setting the standard in 2026. From brighter screens to slimmer designs and more capable batteries, a modern Android phone can be rather impressive, but there are still some older Android hardware features we sorely miss.
From tech that can help expand the storage of a device to components that can help provide different charging options, you may still find some of these features in today’s smartphones, but you’re pretty unlikely to find them in high-trending, cutting-edge devices — and finding a modern device that has all of them would certainly be impressive. There’s some reasoning behind many of these features disappearing, though the validity of many of these arguments can still be debated amongst those in tech.
On the flip side, the elimination of many of these features has given room for developments in other areas, such as slimmer phone designs and more powerful batteries. Some may view it as a trade-off, though arguments can be made for companies choosing to skimp on certain components. We’ll leave it up to you to decide which might be the case. Regardless, we still miss many of these features, but there are also some things you should know about buying used Android phones if you’re really searching for devices that have several or all of these components.
Physical keyboards
The Motorola Droid, released in 2009, was one of the first smartphones to help establish Android as a viable force in the industry. With a 3.7-inch screen, a single 5MP camera, and a 600 MHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, this phone also came with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard and directional D-pad. At the time, it was cutting-edge tech, but more importantly, the full keyboard was both super cool and incredibly useful.
What made a full keyboard so handy is that it provided options for those who weren’t comfortable with a soft keyboard. However, these days, including a physical keyboard can take up valuable hardware real estate in a smartphone. Even when Apple unveiled the first iPhone, it purposely didn’t include a keyboard to focus more on software. Eliminating a physical keyboard can also make a device more waterproof, and fewer physical components mean fewer things that can break.
Despite physical keyboards no longer being the norm, they’re not gone entirely. For example, we took a look at the Clicks Communicator in January 2026, and it’s a device that focuses on messaging, including having a full keyboard reminiscent of a Blackberry. There are a few caveats, however, as the device is meant to be paired with your primary smartphone. Clicks also makes phone cases that bring back the slide-out keyboard, among other options in the wild, but a physical keyboard is pretty much niche at this point.
Easily removable batteries
Just like physical keyboards of yesteryear, Android devices that featured an easily swappable battery were pretty much the norm. Keeping a spare battery around was incredibly handy if you needed extra juice, and you could also replace (and recycle) your original battery once the lithium-ion started to degrade. Nowadays, removing a battery can be a much longer process than simply removing the back cover of a device, but some phones are returning to more old-school setups.
Despite sealed batteries meaning they can be harder to replace (more on that in a second), there’s still some solid reasoning for not having a removable battery. Just like a physical keyboard, it can complicate making a device water-resistant. Not having a removable battery allows engineers to make a phone slimmer, more durable, and more lightweight, while also making the battery itself more efficient. Due to the nature of the tech, it’s a situation that’s somewhat complicated, even to the extent that certain world leaders weighed in on it.
Back in 2023, the EU actually attempted to address this issue with certain battery regulations. Aiming to make batteries in electronics easier to replace for users, it was thought that smartphones would be included in new guidelines that would see swappable batteries become the norm again. However, smartphones ultimately became exempt, with battery efficiency and waterproofing serving as a few reasons for the decision. There’s still a good assortment of Android phones that have removable batteries in 2026, though there are some valid arguments for them no longer being the standard.
Options to expand storage
These days, determining the size of your storage before making a purchase is pretty much how things go when getting a new smartphone, but that wasn’t always the case. Like other components on this list, Android phones arriving with a microSD slot were something you could expect. Back then, it was rather common for a device to have a paltry amount of storage, making expandable storage incredibly beneficial. However, these slots began falling out of fashion far sooner than some may realize.
Even by 2015, microSD cards were beginning to be slowly phased out of smartphones. At the time, smartphone manufacturers found microSD cards to be slow and unreliable compared to the rest of the tech in a device. This argument relies on the quality of the card itself; however, a good card can reproduce fast speeds. Like a physical keyboard, there’s also the argument that fewer components mean fewer things that break, among other reasons for getting rid of it. However, many critics have observed that the removal of card slots allows companies to charge more for flash storage.
Taking a look at the Google Pixel 10, for example, going from 128GB to 256GB of storage can cost users about $150, whereas the same amount of storage in a microSD card can cost far, far less. Whether or not manufacturers are correct that microSD slots are superfluous is a conversation for another day, as it’s likely going to continue to be rare to see flagship devices that support them. Nonetheless, you can still find some Android phones that have microSD slots if you look hard enough.
Headphone jacks
Bluetooth is good for pairing a variety of audio devices wirelessly to a smartphone, but there are still a couple of reasons to miss the 3.5mm audio jack that was pretty standard for early Android phones. For starters, anyone that still relies on the auxiliary output in their vehicle for audio may appreciate them, as would anyone who likes using wired headphones. There are still Android phones with headphone jacks, but it’s fair to say they’ve fallen out of popularity.
Along with claims that making a phone more water and dust-resistant by removing the 3.5mm jack, there’s also the argument that removing the jack helps make devices slimmer, and wireless technology like Bluetooth can make them somewhat redundant, anyway. Eliminating the headphone jack can also help make room for other components, such as more developed cameras. However, there are arguments that removing the jack helps companies sell wireless earbuds. There may be some truth to this, but there are still options for making wired connections without the jack.
For modern Android phones, it’s likely going to be powered by USB-C, which can also serve as an audio port. Though it may not be ideal for those who prefer a wired connection, as there’s now a need for a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, finding one online for a reasonable price isn’t terribly difficult to do. While eliminating the jack can make room for more advanced components and a slimmer smartphone design, those with an appreciation for audio may find themselves missing this one from time to time.
Charging bricks
More often than not, unboxing a new smartphone will typically have you receiving two items: the cellphone and a charging cable. However, in the past, it was pretty common to receive a charging brick with the device, if not a pair of wired headphones and some additional goodies, as well. However, the Apple iPhone 12 changed things by not including a charging block (or headphones), and it wasn’t long before Android makers began following suit.
The decision not to include a charging brick with a new device is often dismissed as a sustainability decision. For example, even Samsung claimed on a 2023 support page that the decision not to include earbuds and charging blocks with its Galaxy series was a decision to eliminate e-waste. However, while companies like Apple and Samsung have claimed it helped reduce shipping costs thanks to smaller packaging, critics have argued that separating chargers is less environmentally friendly due to the packaging and shipment of separate accessories.
Given the complexities of this subject, we actually addressed this issue in more detail when we looked at why smartphone makers stopped putting chargers in the box. While some can argue that users likely already have a charging block that will work with their new device just fine, the counterargument that not all charging blocks are comparable in power can also hold merit. Complicated as the situation may be, it’s one that can potentially leave consumers without adequate charging power for their devices.
