Does the plastic body really bother you?

[rushmore]

Nope. Plastic absorbs drops a little better and I use a case anyway. As everyone that does not have money to burn probably should have well.

 

[slick2404]

IMO I don?t mind the plastic body at all. In fact, I don?t even use a case and of course I?ve dropped it. It survived without anything noticeable thankfully, but had I dropped my old HTC One I?m sure I would have seen some damage on the aluminum body. Sure, the ONE and the iPhone 5?s feel great you in your hand, but being overall lighter, ability to replace the backing in case it does get dinged and the indirect benefit of being able to remove the battery are great features to trade off for.

 

[Not Quite Right]

Nope, no problems with plastic at all. Never did understand the FUD surrounding this.

 

[bp3dots]

I use my phones naked, and they always stay in pretty good shape. I do keep a case around for times when I am doing actives stuff or outdoors a lot though.

The plastics don't bug me too much, (though I would prefer something nicer, like Moto's carbon fiber builds) I just mostly hate the slipperyness. A soft touch back would be a big plus if Sammy went that way.

 

[STARGATE]

The plastics don't bug me too much, (though I would prefer something nicer, like Moto's carbon fiber builds) I just mostly hate the slipperyness. A soft touch back would be a big plus if Sammy went that way.

This ^
I definitely agree 100% with you!

Sent From a Galaxy S4 Away

 

[Oofa]

I prefer plastic. Everyone seems to talk about plastic like it's 1985 or something. Plastic has come a long way. Glock handguns use some pretty light weight plastic that most do not consider "cheap" at all. It's not your fathers plastic that is being used on phones. It's not the same that Glock uses but It's light, incredibly tough, easy to replace, good looking and less expensive. And like others have pointed out, almost everyone with a phone will eventually go for a case even if it's just to make them feel like they have a new phone. I think people react to light weight as if that means something is "cheap" but that isn't always the case.

 

[meyerweb#CB]

I have an S3, and the fact that it's plastic doesn't bother me at all. I wish it were less slippery, though, which I think the S4 is.

When I compare the S4 to the HTC One, I thought the white plastic strip around the edge of the One's body looked cheaper than the plastic body on the S4. But I wouldn't decide on either phone based on the plastic, or lack of.

 

[monsieurms]

Like others, I use a case. And I find these thin phones too thin and slippery.

Doesn't matter what's underneath--I'm using a case. So the back may as well be as light and as thin as possible.

 

[marcher22]

Honestly, I 'll take plastic if it means I can use SD cards, and replace the battery whenever i want. When buying a new phone I could barely consider something like the Nexus 4 or the HTC One. No SD support? No removable battery? At least the One uses metal but glass on the Nexus 4? No thanks. I guess some people are more form over function. I'm definitely more "function over form"

 

[tlo07]

It doesn't bother me in the least. Even though the GS4 is made of plastic, I don't think it feels cheap. I think it feels solidly made. My GS4 doesn't have a scratch on it. My iPhone 5, which I bought after the GS4, has 2 dings in the chamfered edges. That phone has never been dropped either. I think its just from snapping it in and out of a case whenever I swap my sim card back and forth.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Totally agree with those who see plastic in general as a non issue but hate the glossy slippery finish. I am using a case and I don't really like cases. I just feel forced too use a case so the phone does not squirt out of my hand.

 

[sheepseaexplorer]

Doesn't bother me at all. Also I have a case on my phone 24/7 so it doesn't matter. The whole plastic vs metal thing is the last thing I thought about when buying the phone. I do agree that I wish the finish of the plastic was less glossy but like I said, I have a case on it that has a more rugged plastic so I'm not worried about it.

 

[monsieurms]

Totally agree with those who see plastic in general as a non issue but hate the glossy slippery finish. I am using a case and I don't really like cases. I just feel forced too use a case so the phone does not squirt out of my hand.

It's an excellent reason to use a case--because you're right, this thing is too slippery. But in addition to that, you can still drop it even so. Stuff happens, especially over the course of a couple of years. I view cases as mandatory, whatever the downsides are.

In the famous words of your friend, Kurt Vonnegut:

"If you can do a half-assed job of anything, you're a one-eyed man in a kingdom of the blind."

That doesn't bode well for the ability to avoid dropping the phone.:-! An ounce of prevention...

 

[jimbo1mcm]

Not in the least. I have an Element Atom case on it and it makes it even more firm.

 

[imhipper]

Not at all, the case I use is made of silicone and plastic. The same silicone and plastic I would use if I had a phone made with a metal frame.

 

[snookasnoo]

It bothers me because it feels cheap and slimy and also creaks. Creaks even more after a short period of use. This is not what you expect of a flagship phone. Which is why so many reviews and people dislike it. At least they made the buttons better. I don't use a case btw and no manufacturer should expect buyers to make up for the defects of their construction by putting a case on the device.
Plastic is not an excuse for a cheap feel. You can make something out of plastic and not have it feel so cheap, slimy, and creaky.

 

[Marck527]

It bothers me because it feels cheap and slimy and also creaks. Creaks even more after a short period of use. This is not what you expect of a flagship phone. Which is why so many reviews and people dislike it. At least they made the buttons better. I don't use a case btw and no manufacturer should expect buyers to make up for the defects of their construction by putting a case on the device.
Plastic is not an excuse for a cheap feel. You can make something out of plastic and not have it feel so cheap, slimy, and creaky.

"Creaky"? Mine doesn't creak at all, I tested it, mines quite solid.

Sent from my GT-I9500

 

[TheAutoMomma]

I actually really like the feel of the S4 in the hand. I use a tpu case right now, but even when the phone was naked, I really liked the general feel of it. A little slippery, maybe, but not bad.

 

[hallda01]

The plastics don't bug me too much, (though I would prefer something nicer, like Moto's carbon fiber builds) I just mostly hate the slipperyness. A soft touch back would be a big plus if Sammy went that way.

Agreed. Everytime I pick up my Active I wish the rubberized parts on the top and bottom were used for the whole back panel.

 

[blazer236ix]

I've had an s3 and have an htc One now and i love the way the metal feels in my hand, it feels like it wont slip out of my hand compared to plastic and it makes the phone look nicer too. I've had my One for a month and not one scratch on it and no case either. I guess it just depends on what you prefer. This thread feels like it was made to bash the One for some reason especially since you should be asking one users not s4 users how they feel about the plastic since One users are the people who prefer the aluminum.