Originally Posted by YadiMolina

The idea behind separating electronics is to permit the screening to capture an unobstructed view of any devices to ensure they are not a disguised weapon.

As a practical matter, it is in your best interest to separate potentially suspicious items to maximize your probability of passing the screening the first time without drawing additional scrutiny (e.g., separation and re-scanning after the initial pass, swabbing, groping). Or, enroll in Pre-check, where magically these items no longer are suspicious and can all be left in your carry-on.