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Any recommendations for a future-proof smartphone for a power user?
I'm gonna have to buy a new smartphone soon, but I want to be able to keep that as long as possible. From my viewpoint, there are mainly three aspects to that: performance, software and battery lifespan/replaceability.
Do you have any recommendations (what I was originally hoping for - but didn't find - is a mid to high range phone with a maintained lineageos build and a replaceable battery)? And what are your ways to handle the problem of the user experience on smartphones degrading so quickly?
These are fundamentally incompatible. The path of least resistance is to not fight the market, and just re-buy a version behind the lead every 2-3 years.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but replaceable battery phones are pretty much extinct at this point. The industry has specced into water resistance instead, which is kinda cool for longevity too I guess.
It's not all that hard to replace the batteries in most of the phones on the market, it's just not as easy as it should be.
It all depends on the phone but this is mostly true. I've seen some phones use very strong adhesive on the battery to prevent users from trying to replace it. I suggest getting the iFixit tool kit and look up a guide for your specific phone.
If you have steady hands, patience, and know how to follow directions, you can easily replace phone batteries.
I had similar requirements as you and ended up with a OnePlus (6T) and bought an armored case for it. I'm happy with my choice so far, and expect to keep that phone 4+ years.