Yeah I guess swap and replace are kinda getting conflated in this discussion.

With that in mind, isn’t this kinda how things are currently? Not sure what services are offered by Samsung and other Android manufacturers, but you can get an iPhone battery renewed with OEM parts by the manufacturer for about $80, which really isn’t that bad if it’s the only thing wrong with your phone.

I think people get really hung up on batteries but IMO the real issue is screens. I’ll bet way more phones wind up in “they trash” due to cracked screens than exhausted batteries.

Add a counterpoint though, hasn’t the market pretty clearly indicated that this isn’t actually prioritized in a meaningful way, at least over other features, such as form factor or weight (likely the two features most impacted by more easily replaceable batteries). Other than the screen, the battery tends to be the largest and heaviest component of a handheld, so designing it to be swappable isn’t negligible.