Lightning came out in September 2012 [1]. USB-C was ratified in August 2014 [2]. If we put the iPhone 6S model aside (because the -S models generally do not ad

Lightning came out in September 2012 [1]. USB-C was ratified in August 2014 [2]. If we put the iPhone 6S model aside (because the -S models generally do not adopt a significant change in features), the only model released since USB-C is the iPhone 7. Given the short lifecycle of phones, adopting lightning rather than postponing until USB-C has given several generations of phones with a superior connection. Should the iPhone 7 have adopted USB-C instead of lightning? Perhaps, but USB-C support isn't exactly widespread (and it might in fact be Apple which ends up pushing USB-C support to the point of widespread adoption). Is the lightning connection superior to USB-C? Well, it's size is smaller: 6.7mm x 1.5mm (vs 8.4mm x 2.6mm for USB-C); a 42% reduction in height, and a 20% reduction in width. For devices like mobile phones, I can see how the size of connector can be more important than bandwidth or compatibility. I'd like lightning to be a standard, but it's definitely an improvement over micro-USB, and in terms of size, it's better than USB-C. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_(connector) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_(connector) [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_Type-C https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_Type-C