yeah i have an external ssd that uses that weird clamshell connector, you can actually just plug in a regular micro B and it works with usb 2.0 speeds

lightning was basically a better version of the micro-b connector, it debuted with the iPhone 5 in 2012, it had a few advantages over micro-B including a reversible connector. back when it came out apple users complained because all the accessories used the old 30-pin connector so they weren't compatible, so apple pledged to not change the iPhone connector again for a long time, iirc 10 years? i think that's why iPhones were still using lightning until 2023 despite having usb C on the macbook since 2016