While it was backwards compatible with narrower Micro-USB connectors, the 3.0 version was just way so big, ugly and inconvenient to plug in that very few smartphones adopted it. Later on, when USB 3.0 became more popular, the Micro-USB 3.0 connector was introduced. And the unlike Micro-USB, it was reversible - you could plug it into the phone upside down. Compared to that now ancient-looking 30-pin connector, Lightning was far smaller. But at least the Lightning connector was much easier to use. After all, Lightning then used the same USB 2.0 standard and shared the same speed. When Apple first debuted the Lightning connector 4 years ago I didn't mind it much, though I wished Apple had opted for the then popular Micro-USB instead. +43 More USB-C is a big step forward from Micro-USB.
