They shouldn't be forcing people to use patented Qualcomm technology to access cellular networks either but here we are.
Realistically Apple's connector adds no value and if they want to sell into markets like the EU they need to cut that kind of thing out.
> Realistically Apple's connector adds no value
Like I said, usb-c is a regression from lightning in multiple ways.
* Lightning is easier to plug in.
* Lightning is a physically smaller connector.
* USB-C is a much more mechanically complex port. Instead of a boss in a slot, you have a boss with a slot plugging into a slot in a boss.
There was so much buzz around Apple no longer including a wall wort with its phones, which meant an added cost for the consumer, and potentially an increased environmental impact if enough people were going to say, order a wall wort online and shipped to them. The same logic applies to Apple forced to switch to USB, except that the costs are now multiplied.
Having owned both lighting and USB-C iPhones/iPads, I prefer the USB-C experience, but neither were that bad.
My personal biggest gripe with lightning was that the spring contacts were in the port instead of the cable, and when they wore out you had to replace the phone instead of the cable. The lightning port was not replaceable. In practice I may end up breaking more USB-C ports, we'll see.
I've worked with thousands of both types of cable at this point
> Lightning is easier to plug in.
according to you? neither are at all difficult
> Lightning is a physically smaller connector.
I've had lightning cables physically disassemble in the port, the size also made them somewhat delicate
> USB-C is a much more mechanically complex port.
much is a bit well, much... they're both incredibly simple mechanically — the exposed contacts made lightning more prone to damage
I've had multiple Apple devices fail because of port wear on the device. Haven't encountered this yet with usb-c
> The same logic applies to Apple forced to switch to USB, except that the costs are now multiplied.
Apple would have updated inevitably, as they did in the past — now at least they're on a standard... the long-term waste reduction is very likely worth the switch (because again, without the standard they'd have likely switched to another proprietary implementation)