> Imagine if you didn’t have to replace an entire phone over a broken triviality.

I can imagine it. It wouldn't make the slightest difference to my practical experience. And then, as another commenter mentioned, my phone is refurbished and used for someone else.

It would make a big difference for the used natural resources though.

It’s usually not a new phone, it’s refurbished. Apple will then refurbish the phone you came in with and use it to replace someone else’s broken phone

I only had an issue with an iPhone once (yellowing around the edges of the display), I took it to the Apple Store and they replaced the screen. Probably the bulk of repairs (display, battery, shattered glass) don't entail a full replacement.