Apple fans have a fortitude that few other product buyers do. They are forced to buy expensive proprietary products that are incompatible with everything else, and then eventually Apple decides to move on. This ends up costing everybody a pretty penny. After 6 or so years of the Apple’s Lightning connector, it has become near ubiquitous. However, Apple might finally be ready to adopt a standard that would make everybody’s lives better.
USB-C has been around for a few years now, and promises to be the one cable that does everything for any product. It charges, transfers data, moves video, all in a small reversible connector just like Lightning. Android phones adopted it a few years back, and by this point most of them have made the switch. Now even peripheral devices are switching to USB-C. Heck, even Apple adopted USB-C as the only port on its Macbooks. Imagine using the same cord for iPhones, Macbooks, Androids, and everything else.
Reports indicate that the iPhone will adopt USB-C in 2019. It’s not happening yet, but Apple is starting the process. The next iPhone will come with a a lightning connector, but the cord will be a Lightning to USB-C cable and a brick that only takes USB-C.