> How can you have a user accessible door to remove the battery while still being at least somewhat thin and water resistant?

Don't know what you mean by "somewhat thin", but as far as I'm concerned, maybe they could ask Samsung.

My Galaxy S5 had a removable battery door, removable battery, and was water resistant (I'd use it as a GPS on a motorbike, even under heavy rain). It also had a headphone jack, which also didn't seem to be an issue for its water resistance.

It was less than a mm thicker than my iPhone 7 and barely thicker than a 13 mini.

Dimensions from Wikipedia:

GS7 : 142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm

iphone 7 : 138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm

iphone 13 mini : 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.65 mm

I prefer the iPhone 7 for the overall smaller size, but I think that's a different issue. I never found the GS7 "thick", just "big", because it was too tall and wide and would sometimes be uncomfortable in my jeans pocket (and I'm a guy).

Well, "somewhat thin" is subjective so that is no real barrier. Water resistant? I would think you make the phone in two halves, and it splits in the middle. This way both halves can be sturdy enough that a few screws and a silicone seal are enough to keep the water out. Maybe two halves is the wrong idea, but you can still make a stiff back shell that engages in a row of clips along the side that are tapered so as it catches it presses against a silicone seal. Then just a few screws to hold it in place.

Anyway, Apple has solved a million engineering problems. I bet if they cared as much about user serviceable parts as they do about putting LIDAR in their face scanner, we'd see all kinds of clever solutions. Seriously the idea that Apple, one of the most capable engineering and manufacturing companies to ever have existed, could not elegantly solve this problem is a bit far fetched to me. I think the only reason people cannot conceive of it is that we haven't seen it.

First, it is just a little less thin, and second we make watches that handle water just fine.

Another alternative would be to make the devices fail more reasonably when wet. Just drying the thing out could work better than it currently does.

But yes! Your point is valid. We won't get the absolute pinnacle of volume and performance that way.

To that, I say we can surely find a better balance than the mess we have today, and that could start by making damn sure we permit and perhaps encourage as much innovation on the repair / repurpose side of things as we do on design and manufacture.

It's not rocket science. Most wristwatches are splash proof, many are waterproof and they're still thinner than iPhones. Tight sealing has been figured out long time ago, even for rectangular shapes.

The times I needed my phone to have more power vastly outnumber the times I needed my phone to be waterproof...possibly by a factor of 1,000,000 to 1