[dweekly]

On slimness: wouldn't an alternative implementation be to "do the Magic Mouse" and put the USB C port on the back of the phone instead of the edge? Alternatively I could imagine MagSafe alignment / charging magnets plus an NFC like inductive communication (or contact pads) to allow for a range of "snap on" peripherals for phone backs that could be implemented on devices thinner than a USB C port.

[amarshall]

No, the connector is longer than it is tall.

[dweekly]

A solid refutation to the first point but not the second suggestion.

[makeitdouble]

If we really engineer around the same connector with extra thinness the best bet could be on partly open ports: if the phone covered 75% of the barrel circumference by left out the other 25% exposed I assume it would still work.

I see it through the same lens as the cassette players like the Toshiba KT-AS10 that left part of the cassette outside for the absolute minimal footprint:

https://qth.tzpfsokx.cloud/index.php?main_page=product_info&...

PS: there is a mini headphone jack standard, but I'm not sure it's any good. At least it would clear the DAC problem, just still need a dongle.