I think Apple actually listens to its users a more than we think, its just its not the online commentariat that they’re not listening to! Apple pump billions into market research and R&D. The long-rumoured Apple Car is just a way if testing technologies that eventually become part of their computers (eg LiDAR) rather than an actual product.

It may be, for example that Apple’s market research from the silent 90% of users tells them he majority of people want to keep Lightning rather than transition to USB-C.