They did, and they have written about that kind of choice.

It’s a false choice. If you give it to people, they will be manipulated into choosing ‘repairable’.

Do you mean they did and people overwhelmingly chose repairable, so they invented a narrative to support the answer they wanted?

I don't know anyone that would forgo having a repairable phone for the tiny bit of extra security it gets them.

Right, because people overestimate the need for repairs, and underestimate the value of security.

You can’t seriously think that most people do a good job of assessing cybersecurity risks accurately.

Users who choose to repair the products they own with the parts they want at the price they're willing to pay are not being "manipulated" into anything.

They are if it is at the expense of security.