Metal, plastic or glass: what material is best smartphones

The design of today's smartphones are not very diverse, can not be said about the materials of the housing. Here and aluminum, and plastic, and glass. Learn what each material is good and what are the shortcomings to make the right choice.

Metal

Metal smartphone looks soundly and expensive. So it was before, so it is to this day, though the metal had come down from the top-end segment of the budget and, in general, the cost of the smartphone is not particularly adds.

pros

1. It looks expensive. If you have a metal smartphone, you do not exactly poor. At least, many will think that way.
2. Fashionable. Metal has become a major contemporary industrial design material. It is a thing in itself. If the casing is made of metal, no additional elements and design ideas voltage is not required. Metal is beautiful and true.
3. Thermal conductivity. Metal cold. That same feeling when holding the smartphone and feel how it pleasantly cools the palm. Tactile sensation is also important.

From these advantages and creates a feeling of expensiveness.

Minuses

1. Bends and deforms. And to bend smartphone on it does not need to mock - just put it in the back pocket and sit down. Thus, many smartphones are converted to the iPhone 6 Plus. Remember what bendgate? Exactly.
2. Escapes. Metal does not transmit radio waves. LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth - all of these signals is not easy to break through the metal body, so you have to do ugly external pins for the antenna. For the first time it became clear even when Steve Jobs when Apple released the iPhone 4 and the bad catch net. A few years later, Samsung stepped on the same rake, starting line-metal release of smartphones Galaxy A. New items accepted network by 20% worse than the plastic Samsung Galaxy S5. Also, not all-metal housing allows for wireless charging.
3. Thermal conductivity. Plus easily turns into a minus. When the powerful metal smartphones work in full force, the body can heat up so that it is time to fry eggs on it!

So, the paradox: the very stuff that makes the smartphone a premium, does not allow to implement in devayse premium features. Yes, and bends!

Plastic

Smartphones made of plastic can be any color, and, in general, of any shape, for example curved, what was at the time LG G Flex. Also plastic opens the way to various types of finishes. Glossy, matte, under the skin, under the metal - with plastic designers have absolute freedom. Despite the fact that the plastic is cheaper than other materials, the smartphone itself can be more expensive metal and glass, even competitors.

pros

1. Price. Plastic smartphones are cheaper to produce.
2. Elasticity. In general, plastic - a very durable material, it is resistant to bending, twisting, perfectly absorbs the impact energy. Sony has used this property in the creation of many smart phones, such as Sony Xperia Z5. Its body is made of metal, and the angles were plastic. When the angle of incidence on the smartphone energy not transferred internal components of the device, and quenched with plastic. Note that more complex possess higher strength composite materials, for example plastic reinforced with fiberglass. Designed for the military industry, and now it is used to create a smart phone. For example, the new Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact.
3. Does not screen. Plastic excellent conducts radio waves regardless of the thickness and strength. That is why we see the plastic wiring for the antenna in metal smartphones.
4. Colour. The plastic can be any color, and it enjoyed the Nokia company, producing orange, green and yellow smartphones.

Plastic gives the manufacturer more freedom in building design, to the same material is interesting enough to be used even in expensive high-end smartphones.

Minuses

1. It feels cheap. Many plastic smartphones are seen as plain crafts, although cost may thus expensive.
2. Looks cheap. Make the smartphone looked expensive plastic-rich, it is not so simple.
3. Painted. Upon contact with plastic surfaces other color may change color. For example, white smartphone, having been in the pocket of jeans, can be colored denim.

As a rule, plastic smartphone - cheap in all senses of the device.

Glass

For the first time there was glass on the iPhone 4 and the Nexus 4, but the real boom began after the release of Samsung Galaxy S6. Glass smartphones look expensive, are expensive, but quite fragile. Glass backs beat as well as the glass screens. Even though the Gorilla Glass 5.

pros

1. Does not screen. airwaves Glass is not a hindrance, therefore, in contrast to metal smartphones, glass, no plastic inserts for the antennas are not needed.
2. It looks amazing. Glass creates interesting visual effects such as depth perception, change panel color depending on the light incidence angle to catch and reflect the light spots in the form of rays.
3. It feels expensive. As smartphones metal, glass pleasantly cools palm pleasing surface smoothness and evoke a sense of what you hold in your hand a luxury item.

Glass smartphone - is usually an expensive device with a claim to premium status.

Minuses

1. Fragile. yet failed anyone yet create unkillable glass, so dropping a glass smartphone strictly prohibited.
2. Scratched. No matter what the manufacturer says, but the glass is covered with scratches on the one-two.
3. Slippery. Glass smartphones slip out of hands like an ice cube.

Glass smartphone need to be very careful, because it is not only expensive thing, but also very fragile.

So which is better?

Aesthetes like glass smartphones, no matter what they are fragile. Plastic as versatile occurs in all segments and can be represented as a budget material and expensive high-tech composite. But the metal - it's the worst thing that can be. It is deformed and does not transmit radio waves. However, it is metal smartphones are very popular today.

And what do you like smartphones? Vote and tell about their experiences in the comments.