I think it just proves what we already know -- there is a vocal minority (but strong emphasis on minority) who would like a customizable phone. The market largely doesn't seem to care. And it may even actively discriminate against customizable phones by ensuring they had no resale value. The more custom you want it, the fewer people who want to buy that particular device.
The problem with targeting small markets is almost everyone in the group wants absolutely everything the way they expect. There isn’t a “small phone market” there is a “small android phone with removable sd card and 3 cameras” market and a “small android phone with one camera but a replaceable battery at $400” market.
And then it just becomes literally impossible to make work so we have mass market products only.