Yes, the schuko seems to be a nice in-between of the compactness of the US plug and the mechanical robustness of the British plug and the bonus is that it can still take the Europlug. They definitely could have made it a bit smaller but it's good enough.
I find the British plug tends to end up feeling more compact in the wall over US plugs because it's perpendicular on the wall by default, making it easier to hide sockets behind appliances etc.
Very true, I do dislike the way that US plugs stick out. I've been buying these 1ft extension cables that have a flat plug that only sticks out maybe 0.5in at most, perfect for outlets that are right behind furniture or appliances.