> With USB-A, I pretty much expect to break the cable first.

It might seem that way, but the port supposedly breaks more easily than the cable in USB-A, since the A port contains springs (which will eventually get worn out and can be bent).

Anecdotally, I've seen tons of broken A ports with exactly that failure in airplanes, buses, and other places with public USB charging ports that people don't treat particularly nicely.

The leverage of C plugs does seem scary, but I have yet to encounter a broken port – fingers crossed!