They could have been, though. It’s a shame manufacturers went for sealed in batteries instead because it saves them money and forces people to buy a new device or pay exorbitant fees for a replacement- so it’s a win win for them.
I will never understand why people defend sealed batteries, or other feature removal like removable storage. they have -zero- cons for the consumer and anyone who thinks they do have been duped by Apple-style advertising and marketing. Reminds me of the Onion video about the new MacBook Wheel.
15 minutes maybe for an experienced technician but easily hours for someone who isn’t used to device repair which is not reasonable.
Source: iFixit iPhone 13 battery replacement
You’ve been duped if you honestly think devices can only reach IP68 resistance when they have sealed batteries.
My current phone has a headphone jack and removable sim card tray with removable storage that you can take out easily with your fingernail, and it’s IP68 and just as thin if not thinner than current gen iphones.