> There seems to be some discontinuity between the Macbook and iPhone lines.

I'm amused that I'll be able to charge my Nexus 6P with my Macbook Pro charger (unless Apple really screws something up), but my colleague won't be able to charge his iPhone.

Real courage would be to admit that USB-C is better than Lightening, and to switch their new iPhones to USB-C.

But you can't charge licensing fees on that.

The issue is that Apple is making you a third party customer while they rake in cash from selling a non-standard connector.

Reminds me of Firewire, it should die quickly.

FireWire had higher bandwidth than USB 1.0/1.1. USB 2.0 had higher bandwidth (480 Mbps) in bursts. FireWire (due to the dedicated hardware) could sustain 400 Mbps transfers. The use of FireWire on the first iPods and DV cameras was a good choice.

> There seems to be some discontinuity between the Macbook and iPhone lines.

Given there is now no way[0] to connect one to the other, I'd say you're correct.

[0] Without spending even more money.

Edit to add disclaimer: Re-reading the parent and GP, I'm likely misreading the disconnect to mean Lightning -> USB-A cables on iPhones with MacBooks having only USB-C ports. I think they likely meant the lack of 3.5mm plug on the iPhone while still having the plug on the MacBook. I'm leaving the comment as the former is still an interesting question, even if it's not the one originally intended.

Here are the alternatives that I see:

a. Don't switch to USB-C.

This isn't realistic. The change was going to happen sometime, to USB-C or some other improvement. USB-C is a better port, if only that it's smaller and are reversible.

b. Include both USB-A and USB-C ports with the new MacBooks.

I think a lot of people would like to see this. Drawbacks for Apple is that USB-A is larger (impacting design considerations), and removing USB-A entirely puts more pressure on manufacturers to support USB-C.

c. Start shipping the iPhone with both USB-A and USB-C cables prior to the MacBook announcement.

This isn't consistent with Apple's typical secrecy. It's also arguably wasteful.

d. Ship the iPhone with Lightning->USB C cables prior to announcing the new MacBooks.

iPhones wouldn't be able to connect to existing machines without an adapter. Also telegraphs the upcoming change prior to the announcement.

e. After announcing MacBooks with USB-C connectors, provide USB-C connectors for free, or some kind of exchange/buyback program.

While I'm sure this would be popular, it's not very typical of the industry as a whole, not just Apple.

Am I missing any options? Given these, I think the disconnect is inevitable. And given the machines people currently have, I don't think Apple will immediately switch to shipping Lightning->USB-C with iPhones (and iPads). I expect that transition will happen sometime over the next year.

It does seem weird that they are shipping iPhones with USB-B cables which can't even plug into their flagship Mac line.

I wonder when the first iPhone will ship with a USB-C connector. Next year? Never?

>There seems to be some discontinuity between the Macbook and iPhone lines.

I wouldn't say that, the use case is different. I think wireless makes significantly more sense on mobile.

Laptops are "mobile" but in a different way. they are not meant to be used while on the subway or working out, you sit down pull out your laptop, and if you want to listen to music you can plug in headphones. having to walk away from the laptop while listening to music isn't as important