HTC One (M8): Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

[aandrew610]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

Let me ask you this, despite the dent in the metal, did your screen crack or did your phone stop working properly in any way?

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Actually the screen cracked and a few months later the motherboard stopped working

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[Haalcyon]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

So are you then associating an HTC One with a Mercedes because it's made of metal? And what would you consider an S5 (or any other high-end, plastic smartphone) to be... a Hyundai? I don't think that's really an apt comparison, because my parents' Mercedes has all kinds of bells & whistles that my Hyundai doesn't have. There's clearly a difference in quality - not only in its looks, but also in the features it has, and the way it drives.

So, how EXACTLY does the metal make the HTC One a more quality device, esp when it scratches so easily? I'm not even sure if it's water resistant, which is actually one strike against it if so. I understand that a lot of people prefer the look and feel of metal, but I think this thread aptly demonstrates that this is merely a personal preference.

And if it is true that metal is classier, who exactly made that decision? Did we sit down and decide this as a society? Because if we did, I didn't get the invite to that meeting

It's subjective. If metal is classier to you than plastic than that's subjective. I know that I would be willing to pay more for jewelry made from metal than I would if it were made of plastic.


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[Haalcyon]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

It would be interesting to see if they made the M8 out of plastic too, in the same colors, for the same price, which would sell better. I still think the metal would, I could be wrong.


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[dkhmwilliams]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

I would prefer the metal, but I would be ok with plastic if there was a difference in cost. I always put a case on my phones, so I really don't enjoy the craftsmanship of the devices I buy. I still think that the iPhone 5S is the best looking device that I have ever owned, but I always kept it covered so it was almost pointless for it to be so pretty. It would be the same for me if I had the HTC One. It would be covered up, so it wouldn't matter what the rest of it looked like.

 

[srkmagnus]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

I think metal looks fantastic and would like to own a device made from that material someday. But I will never be turned away from a well performing "plastic" device.

 

[dtblair24]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

I used to always wish for a metal device and after using the original One, sometimes I found myself missing how comfortable some plastic devices were to hold. Like anything in life they both have their positives and negatives. The craftsmanship of the iPhone and One is typically perceived as being high quality. But like many of you said it can scratch and can dent just as easily.

 

[Adiliyo]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

I used to always wish for a metal device and after using the original One, sometimes I found myself missing how comfortable some plastic devices were to hold. Like anything in life they both have their positives and negatives. The craftsmanship of the iPhone and One is typically perceived as being high quality. But like many of you said it can scratch and can dent just as easily.

the edges are usually what are uncomfortable on metal devices (the sharper corners on my iphone 5s and m7 were both less than stellar to hold for extended periods of time) the rounded corners on the m8 seem like they should help with comfort.

a pretty close comparison imo is a plastic watch to a metal one.

a gshock is a fine watch, it's durable and attractive, but compare one to an omega and you see where metal accessories get their idea of premium coming from metal finishes.

i have many watches built from various materials, but when i put on a suit, there's a bunch of them which no longer fit the bill.

 

[jasonaward]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

So are you then associating an HTC One with a Mercedes because it's made of metal? And what would you consider an S5 (or any other high-end, plastic smartphone) to be... a Hyundai? I don't think that's really an apt comparison, because my parents' Mercedes has all kinds of bells & whistles that my Hyundai doesn't have. There's clearly a difference in quality - not only in its looks, but also in the features it has, and the way it drives.

Well, if you take a look at the Hyundai line currently, some of their top end cars (see Genesis and Equus) begin to compete with MB in terms of features and in a way, appearance. But I am pretty confident that a luxury car enthusiast would still not pick a Hyundai solely based on their perceived level of quality. It's a brand name game at that point, just kind of like what Apple has bet on for the past few iterations of the iPhone. It's all a perception issue.

So, how EXACTLY does the metal make the HTC One a more quality device, esp when it scratches so easily? I'm not even sure if it's water resistant, which is actually one strike against it if so. I understand that a lot of people prefer the look and feel of metal, but I think this thread aptly demonstrates that this is merely a personal preference.

I'm also pretty sure that a Hyudani will scratch and dent as easily as a MB. At some level a Hyundai and a MB are still both cars at the heart. But I see your post ... what makes a phone "high end".
I think they chose metal just for the reason they stated in their launch... it's a difficult material to work with. Plastic cases can be turned out in bulk... even Samsung has admitted this in the past. But working with metal takes time and effort and craftsmanship. One of the same reasons that a MB will have real wood components versus having plastic molded ones.

And if it is true that metal is classier, who exactly made that decision? Did we sit down and decide this as a society? Because if we did, I didn't get the invite to that meeting

Why did MB decide that wood is better than plastic? Why leather instead of vinyl or cloth? Why did Apple choose glass over plastic in previous versions. I think in a weird way, it comes down to the amount of time that it takes to refine the material into whatever we want it to be. So I suppose that's why HTC chose metal. I also think that Sense is a much more attractive option than TouchWiz (another reason that I prefer the HTC)... to me, it's borderline beautiful and seems obvious that they spent a lot of time refining the interface.

But then again, that's just my 2 cent analysis.

 

[KSDroid01]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

My HTC DNA is plastic, and I've always considered it to be a beautiful phone. However, I can't deny that my metal HTC One looks and feels more "premium" to me. I think our consumer experience has conditioned us to think "plastic=cheaper, metal=more expensive". There are exceptions to this (think fiberglass supercar) but it's more true than not in consumer products. Just make a mental list of consumer products and test it yourself. Cheap stereos tend to be made of plastic, premium ones of metal. Cameras, watches, jewelry, etc...it's pretty hard for me to ignore that perception.

In addition, the nature of the material allows for more precise manufacturing, such as the micro-drilled speaker grilles and the edge chamfers of the M7, further adding to the "premium" perception.

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[jeffdanger]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

I love the look of metal but I hate the coldness of it in the winter here in the Northeast. Short of moving, I may have to stay with plastic.

 

[mc4nam]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

I rarely see anyone carrying a current high end android smart phone without a case. That being said, I do like a case with a little metal. Example: Galaxy S5 Case Neo Hybrid -

 

[Haalcyon]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

I rarely see anyone carrying a current high end android smart phone without a case. That being said, I do like a case with a little metal. Example: Galaxy S5 Case Neo Hybrid -

View attachment 109734

I don't believe that case has any metal in it.


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[mc4nam]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

I don't believe that case has any metal in it.


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You may be correct. I thought the frame was metal but it just looks like metal. It does have metallized buttons. Is metallized metal?
Spigen Galaxy S5 Case Neo Hybrid | Spigen

 

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

You may be correct. I thought the frame was metal but it just looks like metal. It does have metallized buttons. Is metallized metal?
Spigen Galaxy S5 Case Neo Hybrid | Spigen

There are full Metal cases online for $50

 

[Mika Kat]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

I like both. I love the aluminum of the iPhone and HTC ones but like the lightness of plastics. I love the chamfered edges of aluminum like I phones.
I love the metal back of my G Pad.
I don't mind my g flex being plastic these days. It makes it flexible which is cool.
I happen to prefer metal body phones and I don't use cases so I want my phone to feel good in the hand.
I get why Samsung uses plastic still. Its lighter cheaper and allows for a removable battery door but I know the one max has a removable battery door but that has a lot of plastic as well.
Only gripe with plastic phones especially glossy plastic like the older Samsung phones are the finger prints it attracts. I have to always wipe them off which gets annoying. Don't really have that issue with metal phones.
But my g pad already has a few scratches on the metal. But I am OK with both.

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[Joe the Insider]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

Htc M8 is a far FAR higher quality phone than others out there.

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[Haalcyon]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

You may be correct. I thought the frame was metal but it just looks like metal. It does have metallized buttons. Is metallized metal?
Spigen Galaxy S5 Case Neo Hybrid | Spigen

Na.


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[Haalcyon]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

Htc M8 is a far FAR higher quality phone than others out there.

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How so?


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[LindtChocolate]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

How so?


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It's not made from the same plastic that feature phones from 2004 were made in.

 

[Haalcyon]

Re: Metal vs plastic - difference in quality, or personal preference?

It's not made from the same plastic that feature phones from 2004 were made in.

;-)


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