I am glad to read that you have gone a stage further and that the tech department at apple are on the case.
I agree with your assessment based on use so far: the battery is the same size as the iphone 8 ( but with different connectors so they are not compatible or interchangeable ..according to youtube videos dismantling both).
Also that if under lockdown minimal use, the battery is this weak then what happens when you are on google maps for a long journey or a day's work with heavy use?
I would say this - with all respect to the designers at Apple of this phone, I appreciate really the sentiment that you cram the buts of the state of art apple pro into a small budget version but where there is fundamentally a misconception is that people are prepared to put up with the 'endless charging who cares about the cost attitude' - which gives masses of new features and functionality which are really only gimmicks. Most phone developers believe this is the way to market success... keep adding additional functionality to make the user want the latest iteration. ( I keep getting prompts to upgrade iTunes or Numbers or Pages) when in fact there is minimal advantage to the changes that they make.
Much smarter would be to take a modern renewable sustainable philosophy and be proud of the fact that the basic functionality DOES NOT NEED TO CHANGE OR BE UPDATED .. software designers should consult widely on this and make it a feature to be proud of " Our software hasnt changed in 4 years - no need to change your workflow"
And then when they do have something really useful or ground breaking or original ( ie like in Voice Memos now being able to search voice memos by name - you didnt used to be able to do that) or to Zoom in on Photo Albums ( ie the feature where you can now see a whole year of thumbnails in iPhoto and Zoom in by touch) - these are really functionally useful features which they ought to offer FOR FREE ... because they are not costly to develop.
And this new image of Apple as a brand which is pioneering a new sustainable user loyalty based clientele is the key to their long term marketing strategy and sustainability .. because if you become a more trusted brand over a long time ( I have been using apple computer for over 20 years) you would buy more stuff they recommended because they understand the difference between what people really need and what unscrupulous businesses are trying to persuade them that they need.
And these times of the Covid threat are pointing to the very sustainability and survival of the whole world - we have the opportunity to break the chains of fossil fuel dependence, pollution, climate change habits...
This poor battery thing is fundamentally a design philosophy miscalculation - this is not just some sort of minor glitch that can be corrected by a software update correction download.
