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So you’re saying that PCB [1] and those pads are more solid than the low profile pins in Lightning?

I guess only a mechanical engineer can settle the argument. Anyone?

[1] https://www.mouser.sg/new/molex/molex-usb-type-c/

The receptacle housing generally prevents you from bending the connector tongue, and even if you manage to do it somehow, AFAIK it's almost never FR4 in the receptacle (although USB-C receptacles printed directly on 0.8mm PCBs work great!). It'll generally be some sort of injection molded thermoplastic that's fairly flexible, so even if you manage to bend it, it'll spring back.

As for pins vs pads, you can make pads almost arbitrarily more durable by increasing the gold plating thickness, whereas it's really hard to make pins not bend.

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