Don't know about this phone (we'll have to wait for the teardown), but iPhone batteries are pretty easily replaceable, and you don't need to go to an Apple Store to have them replaced. I run a chain of independent repair shops and we replace iPhone batteries all day long.

A press push for environmental reasons has made sure most smartphone batteries aren't glued in.

Now MacBooks and Surface Books, on the other hand, do tend to have glued-in batteries on newer models, so more pressure is needed there. We can still replace them, but they're a pain, and glue is not environmentally friendly at all.

Extracting them with a torx driver, heat gun, and an hour's labor is not the same as a swappable battery.

You forgot the step of desperately trying to not crack anything while doing so for said hour.

Very true, but we are discussing phones, and without glue on my few year old Mac book air, it was less than 10 minutes as there was no glue. Again you're right, it ain't swappable, but it was surprisingly easier than I thought when it isn't glued.

Good to know! I'll probably go that route in a couple years then rather than buying a new device.