Except they clearly explained that they had interference problems with the new camera and the analogue jack, which they don't have by using a digital port. Conveniently, lightning was already there.
I agree the situation is not optimal, but please, stop this "they so greedy", "this is only for selling adapters" etc. After all, it's apple's product, and if it doesn't appeal to you, don't buy it.
As you have stated yourself, the rest of the industry might not even follow them here.
This kind of attitude isn't logical and is in fact extremely dangerous. It's the same argument as "if you don't have anything to hide, why do you mind being spied on by corporations and governments?"
It is entirely reasonable and in fact GOOD that people have strong opinions about things even if they do not personally interact or care about the actual thing. When an increasingly large amount of our society is shaped by Apple or Facebook or Google, their decisions affect everyone, even those not directly using those services or being customers.
Opinions matter. Don't tell people that they should shut up and ignore global implications because they themselves wouldn't buy the product.
If everybody is open about everything, the result is not that all spying/invasion ends. In fact, it doesn't really prevent anything (it makes those who were spying more powerful in fact - you've done their job for them.)
On the other hand, if nobody bought the products a company is selling, that company eventually goes out of business. Or finds that their products don't have a market fit, and adjust them accordingly.
I'm not a free-market-solves-everything type by any means, I just don't see how these can be considered "the same argument" at all.
(Though, I agree with your basic point that we should not only allow, but encourage discussion and opinions. At the root of it, I agree with where you're going.)
I'm definitely not trying to shut down opinions. It's perfectly fine to dislike the removal of the headphone jack.
However, I'm sick of people calling out Apple for being what it is: A capitalistic enterprise. Ultimately, of course they want to make more money. But they have clearly explained reasons other than "sell adapters" (which itself is kind of stupid, since they ship a free one with every iPhone). And after all, they don't control the market. Heck, here in Germany they don't even have 15% market share. It's not like they force the other 85% to drop the headphone jack.
Moving the DAC another centimeter or so from inside the phone to the Lightning plug isn't going to magically cure interference - at least, not when the device that's supposedly interfering is already at the opposite end of the phone. Apple's engineers aren't stupid. If they didn't get a working 3.5mm jack it's because they didn't want to.
I agree the situation is not optimal, but please, stop this "they so greedy", "this is only for selling adapters" etc. After all, it's apple's product, and if it doesn't appeal to you, don't buy it. As you have stated yourself, the rest of the industry might not even follow them here.