I also think that they're either trying to mimic Apple. Nexus devices were never meant for the average consumer. They were meant for developers, and other power users who are more tech-savvy. While internal storage does write and read faster, I don't see any harm that is done by allowing people to option to expand their storage, instead of having to buy a new device if they run out of space.
As for a removable battery. I don't see what good that accomplishes. If it improved battery life, then that would be another story, but family and friends of mine own Android devices that have just as good, if not better, battery life than the Nexus 4 is supposed to have, and their devices have removable batteries.
Google is clearly trying to mimic Apple, and is using the excuse that these features are somehow outdated to justify eliminating them, which might not be a good idea, seeing how lawsuit-happy Apple is.