Apple didn't manage to convince the rest of the industry that it's the better connector, so USB-C came out ahead. That was not the mandate. The mandate just told them to collaborate and standardize around one connector.
Apple charges money on a license for lighting cables. And it's not cheap. Surprise, their competitors don't want to pay out millions to Apple for some crappy charging cables.
People have this idea lightning stuck around because it was good. No, it was a money printing machine that required no lubrication from Apple. Even the dumbest of the dumb MBAs wouldn't have killed lightning. From a business perspective it's gold.
People have this idea lightning stuck around because it was good. No, it was a money printing machine that required no lubrication from Apple. Even the dumbest of the dumb MBAs wouldn't have killed lightning. From a business perspective it's gold.