> that alternatives are somehow better
Microsoft just released Surface X with a door on the back for replacing the drive. The device is 0.28 inches thick.
Thinkpad X1 Carbon and Dell XPS both have replaceable drives. From opening the case. If anything I'm struggling to find another laptop maker who solders the drives to the boards like Apple does...
Drive failure isn't a possibility, it's a certainty and soldering them to the board creates a hard deadline when the laptop turns from a computer to a brick.