LogFAQs > #973108393

Combination of greed and functionality.

If you get rid of the storage you have to buy their upgrade which is far more expensive than an SD micro would be. Same with how until recently you couldn't use a laptop hard drive on playstation you had to buy their overly priced specific hard drive. That's the greed part.

The functionality part is that a lot of cellphones are pushing to be water resistant if not outright water proof up to a few feet. In order to do this they need to eliminate all weak points. Any latch that could wear down, o rings that could get twisted, etc. It's also why you can't change your battery. Even when I had life proof cases there would be times where the o rings showed wear and tear and let some water in.

It's most likely the former than the latter given how the industry is copying apple with it's closed market place to people who don't know how to side load or root their phone.