One thing I don't understand is that if the port size is really a problem, why don't the big tech companies agree on a smaller format?
The same applies to ethernet. Pretty much all laptops have dropped the ethernet port, mostly because it too bulky for modern formats. Why can't they simply agree on another socket?
Agreeing on a standard is hard. Meanwhile, while no agreement exists, there's plenty of space for people to make money on incompatible standards, each trying to become the dominant solution.
Frankly, I'm sometimes surprised by the amount of things that _are_ standardized between platforms, especially when that standardization isn't forced by regulation.
in ethernet's case, having another connector would be useless because all the other devices still use good old rj45.
RJ45 connectors are in terms of their size, already not that large considering the size of the cable they deal with. (CAT cable is far larger then a 3.5mm headphone cable).
The same applies to ethernet. Pretty much all laptops have dropped the ethernet port, mostly because it too bulky for modern formats. Why can't they simply agree on another socket?