That sounds like something Apple would never do. Though I might have said the same thing about the camera notch on the iPhone.
I'm quite sure that an iPhone not being able to lay flat on a table without wobbling would have caused Steve Jobs to throw it at whoever designed it.
At this point I can only assume they simply never managed to find a way to significantly improve the module while keeping things flush.
I enjoy the materials in my phone and I'd love to use it without a case, but when my phone bumped against a saltshaker and the glass back panel cracked, I felt miffed to pay 160 euros to have that replaced when a 10 euro case would've prevented any damage.