And the corollary is: What is the advantage of a universal form factor if the wire protocols are different?
If the wire protocols are different, then an identical form factor is a hindrance, not an advantage.
If the wire protocols are different, then an identical form factor is a hindrance, not an advantage.
There are good usb cables that handle it all, still cost fraction of apple ones due to simple effect of competition, and are more durable. But quality comes at a cost, just you don't need to pay apple profit margins.
With USB-C I have to spend good money for every every cable in order to ensure that any cable I grab from my bag works. And these cables are going to be so thick that they are annoying to use with a mouse or keyboard.
I can rearrange my office and use a cheap 5 meter usb-A to B cable to get to where the printer is now (true story). If I want a 5 meter usb-C to C cable for data I need to spend over $300.
[1] excluding all the possibilities of chargers with incompatible DC barrel plugs, which is generally true of the time frames we're talking about