It seems likely that there are separate teams that develop the phone vs. the laptop. The laptop team embraced USB-C, and the phone team didn't. That, or being

It seems likely that there are separate teams that develop the phone vs. the laptop. The laptop team embraced USB-C, and the phone team didn't. That, or being lightning-only is simply more profitable. Public companies (like it or not) have a fiduciary duty to maximize shareholder wealth.