What about reliability? Battery aside, the components in a smartphone could all be built to last 10 years. Regulations on component lifetimes might have a much more beneficial effect than repairability requirements. A well engineered smartphone or laptop shouldn’t need repairs within the reasonable expected lifetime of the device. But at the moment, manufacturers aren’t incentivized or required to target 10 year lifetimes.

I see it as a bit like ETOPS. You can fly across the Atlantic on two engines as long as those engines are super reliable. Similarly, you should be allowed to build unrepairable devices if you can show, say, an expected lifetime of 10 years for 99% of units.