Just so we are on this page, you will _still_ be able to connect 3.5mm headphones to your iPhone. You will just have to use an adapter.
There are benefits for removing this port:
1. It frees up internal space.
2. It makes outer design more robust, simpler and cheaper for production.
3. It makes the phone lighter.
4. It allows you to make iPhone thinner.
5. You have one less limitation to account for when designing new iPhone.
6. You waste less materials on cables and oversized jacks made out of metal. I really like how article says that there will be lots of cables wasted from this. Well, so what? Should we stop all innovation and keep all standards forever the same so there is no waste? Ideally we should move on to smallest possible ports and most efficient standards. We can get there with tiny steps, and that will include throwing away legacy things.
7. It's easier to make phone waterproof when you have less openings.
In addition to that, lightning jack is superior to microUSB and other jacks, because you can insert it either way. It also has magnetic functionality that the other jacks lack.
Finally, for me as a customer, this change does not bring any problems either. I may have to spend $20 more for adapter. But if the phone costs $500, this change is insignificant.
Companies in the audio industry might have bigger problems from this, but it's their problems, not mine.
I am seriously surprised that BBC would be posting useless crap like this. Could it be because there is a lot of money to be made from shorting Apple stock and then releasing anti-Apple propaganda?