That’s just silly. I’ve had Apple products for over ten years and never once had to change a battery. Before I upgraded to my current iPhone, the old one still held a charge all day long. My original iPod from 2003 still has the original battery and will run for hours.
The “sealed battery” is a non issue. And if you really wanted to, you can get the tools online to open the case for a few dollars. But why would you want to?
The sealed battery is an issue if you like to stay out in the field and use up two or three batteries. I purchased a Note 4 for $345. Note 7 is $856. Specs are similar. Batteries and chargers for older models are dirt cheap.
I confess, I sneer at iPhones, however they do have some impressive features that I envy.