I remember it used to be that every cellphone company had their own different standard. One for Nokia, etc.
Now there are just 2/3. USB C, micro usb And lightning.
What prompted the change?
In: 9
There are several considerations when interoperable solutions become available to manufacturers, including cost, design and profitability.
The switch to USB in the majority of phones did not happen overnight. Some manufacturers wanted their phones to be slimmer, and mini USB was too large. Some understood that their proprietary cables would earn them more money when their customers needed replacements (most would cost cents to make but we’re sold for $15-20).
Most manufacturers switched to USB when they saw the market pushing for it. Potential customers would factor the connector type into their decision to purchase. Competitors with interoperable charging/data transfer solutions were gaining market share, demand dropped for phones with proprietary connectors and R&D for proprietary connectors would cost more than implementing a proven standard.
Apple are, of course, an exception to the rule. They gained enormous amounts of market share for the iPod years before the iPhone was announced. They had licensed the connector to many third parties for accessories (e.g. speaker docks). When the iPhone came out, it could continue to work with those accessories if it kept the connector, and Apple could keep making money from licensing. Apple kept a very high market share on smartphones throughout the years and wished to keep making money from licenses even when it needed a new, faster and lower profile connector, hence why Lightning was developed.
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