I think that cable failure as described is a solved problem and you're just repeating ancient anecdotes that no longer apply.
I'd make the counter-argument that your thoughts and opinion are just as valid as mine. To then state that my opinion no longer applies either suggests you believe your opinion is somehow more valid than mine, or you believe that my recent real-world experiences are somehow fabricated or exaggerated. Which is it?
(Anecdote alert) I've never had the connectors themselves fail; every charging problem got traced to worn-out cable. As others have noted, the gold fingers (insert wah-wah trumpet sound!) on the device end of the connectors can get scraped off. Again, though, this is still common with cheap knock-off cables, not with the Apple cables.
Also in anecdote land: my friends with Android phones are always complaining that the micro-USB ports on the phones fail easily. And they do, because it's a shitty connector.
Yep, but anecdotal evidence is still very valid. I personally "deal with" on average 2 iDevices per week and dead ports (where they need to be replaced before I can work on them) aren't common, but aren't unheard of either. I probably replace maybe 5 ports per year?
As for Micro USB yes, they sucked! But quit living in the past, most manufacturers like Samsung haven't used Micro USB on their devices since 2018. Hardly a relevant problem these days since most phones are using USB-C which is a much more robust connector. Of course some budget phones still use Micro USB, but when the overall cost and quality of the handset is not important. what do you expect?
To use your own argument back at you: that failure is "a solved problem and you're just repeating ancient anecdotes that no longer apply".
On the subject of anecdotal evidence, recency is very important.