Is 3.5 inch HDD in laptop less reliable than 2.5 inch one?

I have Asus K95VJ laptop where the original inteal 3.5 inch drive died on me. It was 3TB Seagate Baracuda ST3000DM001. I have read that those drives had have huge failure rates and this is actually second time it failed, only now it is not in warranty anymore.

I'm now considering the replacement and choosing basically between WD10JPLX and WD10EZEX. I have read some good reviews on WD10EZEX and considering there was this Seagate before I don't mind the weight. Moreover, the 3.5 inch drive would fit into the original bay but the connection cable is flexible so 2.5 inch is still possibility.

My question is, reliability-wise, is the 2.5 inch better for laptops or are they only preferred because of they smaller size and weight? I would hate another drive to die on me and the laptop environment sure won't be as stable and vibration-free as one would expect in desktop. Are 3.5 inchers more prone to damage while carrying, moving, etc. or it doesn't really matter.

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