Yea I guess clarification here would be good but the final product probably takes more metal to make than what is in it to start with.
I don't buy the judge's argument about USB-C because the cable that comes with the phone has USB-C on the end that goes to a charging block so there aren't really any compatibility issues. Unless of course that judge was suggesting that Apple shouldn't include a power cable as well using a similar argument for not including the charging block being that "there are plenty around".
I would not assume wasted metal in manufacturing. These metals are all readily recyclable-- Especially at such a large scale in manufacturing and for a company that claims to want to reduce environmental impact.
I don't buy the judge's argument about USB-C because the cable that comes with the phone has USB-C on the end that goes to a charging block so there aren't really any compatibility issues. Unless of course that judge was suggesting that Apple shouldn't include a power cable as well using a similar argument for not including the charging block being that "there are plenty around".