Apple was the last mobile phone producer to change its proprietary Lightning charger to the industry standard USB-C. The company was reluctant but had to comply with a European Commission request for all phone manufacturers to use the USB-C connector. USB-C is part of the USB-4 specification and outperforms Lightning in every technical aspect, including charging speed and data transfer.
Until now, the advantages of the Lightning charger, such as its distinctive look and reversible ends, have been enough to hold back competition. However, the manufacturer has been unable to avoid the common standard, despite possibly benefiting from keeping its equipment exclusive.
Apple has used common standards in the past to increase compatibility and compete with major players like Microsoft. However, as Apple is now a market leader, not being compatible with other standards might increase exclusivity and status value for customers. Whereas forced standardisation could be seen as a move that stifles innovation and limits consumer choice.
Read source article here:
https://theconversation.com/apple-has-switched-from-its-lightning-connector-to-usb-c-we-explain-which-is-better-and-why-they-did-it-213608
