Fair points, and I think we mostly agree.

I'm not defending Apple. The point is that the hardware outlasts the software support, and because the bootloader is locked, you can't do anything about it once updates stop. That's the e-waste problem you're describing.

I'd only add that support has improved from the early iPhones, which got just a few years of updates, to 6-7 years now. That's better, but it's still a company-set expiry date on perfectly good hardware.

Open bootloaders and documented chips would let those phones in your drawer stay useful.