When lightning came out, the other choice was MicroUSB which is an objectively bad connector that can burn in hell. I hate MicroUSB with a fiery passion. And people were really upset that Apple ditched the 30 pin connector so I cant fault them for keeping lightning so long. Either way I really don't care because the only thing it changes for me is the cable I keep at my bedside. My data transfers are all done wirelessly. I don't know why people think this is such a big deal, it is (mostly) just a charging port. As long as it doesn't break if you breathe on it wrong like MicroUSB I'm happy.

I still have useless 30 pin connector accessories floating around.