[Schiendelman]

Waterproofing. It really is that simple. The math would never work out trading that for easy replaceability. And every average user can get a shop to replace their battery.

[shiroiushi]

The old Samsung Galaxy S5 was waterproof and had a user-replaceable battery, so your argument doesn't hold water.

[Gigachad]

Waterproofing isn't a yes/no feature. Modern phones are way more waterproof and dust resistant than the S5. The plastic back on the S5 would quickly develop cracks that would let water in.

[shiroiushi]

Sure, it wasn't perfect, but it showed that it can be done, and it's not particularly difficult either. An improved design could have a metal back panel instead of plastic, it could use screws instead of plastic snaps, etc. (And with most people using cases, who cares about visible screws?)

[Schiendelman]

It was really not waterproof. It was IP67, which is far from the IP68 almost all phones have today. https://phandroid.com/2014/04/21/galaxy-s5-ip67-meaning/

[qup]

If it's waterproof and you get the water on the inside, it should in fact hold water

[tomcam]

I thought waterproofing came late to iPhones, like version 7 or 8. What would the reason be before that given environmentalism as a strong motivator?

[dwaite]

Getting a professional who will properly dispose of a battery is more environmentally conscious, and supports the local economy?