Obviously some combination of water resistance, more space for battery, space for other components (larger camera), or along those lines.

There is no consumer device used by virtually everyone where every square millimeter counts more than in a cell phone. It's not like there's just an empty hole where the jack would be otherwise.

That space is being used for whatever component(s) Apple thinks its customers, as a whole, find more valuable -- i.e. a net increase in functionality for the average consumer, even if not for you personally.

"That space is being used for whatever component(s) Apple thinks its customers, as a whole, find more valuable -- i.e. a net increase in functionality for the average consumer, even if not for you personally. "

This is assuming that "what Apple thinks its customers want" === "what Apples customers want"

> This is assuming that "what Apple thinks its customers want" === "what Apples customers want"

Considering the financial success of Apple I would say that is probably true.

Eh, plenty of companies are massively successful while simultaneously making plenty of mistakes.