>> No, although that’s an engineering trade-off that also allows for more capacity for a single charge.
That “engineering trade-off” ALSO forces obsolescence after two years, give or take.
Little known fact: while rechargeable lithium batteries have a number of strengths in portable applications, they have a short lifetime relative to other chemistries, which is essentially guaranteed by the nature of the lithium battery chemistry.
I don’t care for planned obsolescence products myself. Your mileage may vary.
‘That “engineering trade-off” ALSO forces obsolescence after two years, give or take.’
I think two years is quite on the short side of reality myself. You can get Applecare for a reasonable price that covers any eventuality including water damage etc. for three years. There is also a pay-as-you-go battery replacement program. Of course, the clip-on batteries I mentioned would continue to work regardless.
Given the rate of improvement with these phones, a few years of useful life is probably sufficient for the moment. Perhaps the next generation will use the carbon nanotube supercapacitors for batteries which will feature both nearly instant charging and nearly unlimited recharge cycles.