[ben-schaaf]

> If people wanted removable batteries in their phones, they would buy them a lot. They don't.

This argument gets thrown about every time companies make anti-consumer changes, and it completely ignores the information asymmetry and other dynamics at play. When I go to the store to buy a new phone, where does it list on the box how repairable the device is? Where does it show how expensive the repair will be? If I'm locked in the apple ecosystem, where do I buy an iPhone with a replaceable battery?

Your assumption that the market is driven by informed consumer choices presupposes that every buyer is an expert.

[matchbok3]

None of that really matters, though. Most people are not repairing anything they own. It is cheaper to replace.

That may be good or bad, I do not know.

[TheCycoONE]

I don't have the evidence to say either way, but I do know that at least my city has a lot of cellphone repair businesses, including mall kiosks. Presumably they have enough clientele to keep them going which suggests a lot of people are repairing their phones.

[charcircuit]

If you go and buy an iPhone they advertise how expensive AppleCare is.