The 3.5mm port on the MacBook Pro is not just for headphones.
It doubles as an S/PDIF connector for outputting digital optical audio, so can be used to feed external DACs or other audio equipment with lossless audio.
I don't want to have to carry around a bag full of adapters for my laptop to be useful, just for the sake of making the machine a couple of millimetres thinner.
As per the iPhone 7, removing the 3.5mm port would free up a fair amount of internal space, which could be used for other purposes, and ultimately contribute to making the laptop thinner.
If there is not already a cable you can buy with lightning at one end and whatever is needed to connect to your audio equipment at the other end, surely it is only a matter of time before there is.
It doubles as an S/PDIF connector for outputting digital optical audio, so can be used to feed external DACs or other audio equipment with lossless audio.
I don't want to have to carry around a bag full of adapters for my laptop to be useful, just for the sake of making the machine a couple of millimetres thinner.