I pretty much never use the USB port on my Nexus 4. It charges wirelessly and syncs content OTA silently. The only time I need to plug it in is when I’m moving large files to/from it, which doesn’t happen very often.
That doesn’t make your concern any less valid, I’m just saying we might be moving away from the need to use these cables all the time, as technologies like wireless charging get popular (if they ever do).