What should be a smartphone? The concept of these devices has changed a lot over the past 10 years. At first, it was believed that a small screen is a sign of convenience, and powerful hardware is of decisive importance for their performance. Not to say that nothing depended on him at all, but experience Apple proved to us that optimization always solves more than cores, gigabytes and gigahertz. And, as for the external performance of smartphones, then there have been serious changes. If before the absolute norm were plastic devices, then the time came for metal, and glass replaced it. But it seems that it's time for manufacturers to return to their roots again.
A plastic smartphone is better than glass and even more so aluminum
Samsung recently introduced the Galaxy Note 20 in a so-called Glasstic case. It is a derivative of the English words glass – glass and plastic – plastic, which are the basis of this material. Supposedly thanks to them, it has high strength and at the same time does not break like glass. True, in fact it turned out that this very plastic is no different from ordinary plastic. This disappointed me a lot at first. Still, a smartphone for 80 thousand rubles should have a slightly more premium body. But then I realized that I was wrong.
The better a plastic smartphone
Samsung came up with a combination of plastic and glass and called it glasstic
Here are 5 reasons to choose a plastic smartphone over a glass one:
- Plastic smartphones are thinner. Due to the fact that glass is very fragile, manufacturers have to make the glass panels thicker to be strong enough. With plastic, this is not necessary – it is very flexible and mobile.
- Plastic smartphones are lighter. The fact is that plastic is, in principle, lighter than glass. With equal dimensions, the weight of a plastic panel can be 2-3 times less than a glass one. Now that smartphones have become quite large and more material is used to manufacture them, reducing their weight is very important.
- Plastic smartphones are cheaper to repair. Despite the fact that the Galaxy Note 20 is not the cheapest smartphone, the presence of plastic in its construction will affect its price. After all, it is more difficult and more expensive to manufacture a glass panel, not to mention the fact that it is more risky to install it than a plastic one.
- Plastic smartphones are stronger. Despite the fact that plastic is not the most durable material in the world, it is more resistant to falls due to its damping properties and does not break. In addition, it is usually dyed over the entire thickness, and therefore, even in the presence of chips, this will not be noticeable.
- Plastic smartphones look neater. Unlike glass panels, which collect fingerprints with a bang, plastic ones leave them almost invisible, remaining visually cleaner. This is especially pleasant when using dark smartphones.
The problem of plastic smartphones
Cheapness, strength and lightness are the main advantages of plastic over glass
I understand that most users associate plastic with the cheap material that makes up the most mediocre smartphones. But, if you look at it, this is a wrong stereotype. Yes, once Samsung used the so-called 'bottle' plastic, which left a feeling of some kind of consumer goods and disrespect for consumers. But this opinion was formed at a time when users, not spoiled by premium materials, were happy even with aluminum.
Now, when practicality comes first, plastic is becoming a new panacea that can only make smartphones better. After all, resistance to damage, cheaper repairs and weight reduction today can play a decisive role for many users who do not buy smartphones for $ 1000, fearing then spending half of the amount paid for repairs that may be needed if the device is dropped due to its large dimensions.