Yeah i guess a good case makes a phone durable enough for most people and if you want an iPhone that is your only option anyways.
I’d have imagined that a purpose build phone would still offer some benefits. Like operable with gloves, maybe being the ports better protected against things like dust, or they have removeable batteries. Suprisingly i had to learn (after a quick search) that they don’t seem to offer much brighter displays for better visibility outdoors. I’d have thought that could be another feature.