> The most fragile part (the wafer in the center of the receptacle) is on the expensive-to-repair device, while the least fragile part is on the cheap-to-replace cable.

Why do you think that the wafer is the most fragile part?

One might argue that the latch mechanism would be the part most exposed to wear and tear due to mechanical stress incurred by plugging and removing. Those side latches are located in the plug, not in the receptacle.

See also figure 3-14 in the USB-C spec [1].

[1]: https://www.usb.org/sites/default/files/USB%20Type-C%20Spec%...