> Micro-USB and Mini-USB were both far more robust.
Micro-USB and USB-C both have the same minimum durability ratings, you may just be buying non-compliant cables (or you're encountering selection bias or something):
>the newer Micro-USB[4] and USB-C receptacles are both designed for a minimum rated lifetime of 10,000 cycles of insertion and removal.
Micro-USB is an abomination from a durability perspective, and in no way does this reflect reality for the majority of Micro-USB plugs and sockets I've found in the wild.
I'm pretty sure that rated lifetime is for correct insertion, yeah. USB-C has a thicker cross-section and the rounded ends definitely help with correct insertion to reduce the likelihood of whomping on the socket when you plug it in.
Micro-USB is an abomination from a durability perspective, and in no way does this reflect reality for the majority of Micro-USB plugs and sockets I've found in the wild.