S10E Will Not Boot After Battery Replacement

Thank you SO much for posting and including the bit about the freezer. My phone was stuck in a constant boot loop that began after an abrupt shut down the same as you experienced.

I did the same as you, scoured the internet for tips and possible fixes (including reddit), and ended up here. I was unable to even consistently access Recovery or SS RDX modes due to the constant boot loop - until I froze my phone.

After the initial timeout in the freezer, I was able to boot up up for a few minutes and see that my data was still intact. My phone abruptly shut down and entered boot loop again, but a follow up freeze elicited the same results and I was able to power it up successfully and enter the Recovery and SS RDX menus. There's too many details to include here but between multiple freezes, an incredibly helpful Samsung tech who reflashed my OS, and two ice packs taking turns to keep my phone cool enough to complete the process, I was able to retrieve all my data before sending my S10E to its final resting place.

I've been holding on to my S10E for the same reasons as you, was hoping to preserve it but have been forced to move on. Really wish there was any device with these features (actually compact [the fact that the S10E is considered compact is a joke], SD card, AUX jack, the classics!). I don't understand how they've all been replaced with bigger, bulkier, less-accessible devices.

@ajdxl

I'm glad my post was of some assistance and that you were able to recover the data. Fortunately, most of my data was on my SD card. It is a shame that I will never have that again in a high-end phone.

@ajdxl

With regards to "why" phones have deviated from the features we like, it comes down to profit.

No AUX = forced reliance on more expensive and disposable wireless earbuds

No removable battery = increased likelihood of buying anew phone from the same brand sooner

No SD card = forced to use cloud services or USB devices for extended storage and backup

Further, removing the SD card (eventually, the SIM tray itself) and AUX saves manufacturing cost. Less separate parts = less cost.

This is speculation on my part. As battery performance improvements kept stagnating, companies found that increasing the size was the only way to improve battery life. Supporting this trend, more consumers today use smartphones as their sole personal device causing larger displays to become more in demand. As larger displays became mainstream, the cost of having a supplier in Asia produce a display of similar size became cheaper than going against the norm and having a smaller batch of small displays made.

Lastly, the mainstream consumer does not value the features we do. Companies have successfully convinced people that the features they used to have for free are worth a subscription cost now. Carrier deals blunt the perceived cost of modern and expensive devices. Carriers make their money back by forcing you onto "unlimited" data plans that cost $60/month/line. This results in consumers not associating their spending with the cost of the device. The most unfortunate side-effect of all this is a tremendous increase in eWaste production.

Anti-consumer trends are often set by Apple and companies copy Apple because mainstream consumer demand rewards that behavior.

Unfortunately, high-volume high-cost industries are in some sense, extremely democratic. The people have chosen sleek glass/metal backs that they will have a case over near constantly, cloud subscriptions, and large sizes that cannot be used one-handed as their preferred type of smartphone.