Why are Android phones made of plastic?

[Fishfam4]

That Otterbox Defender or Griffin Survivor case on that guy's 5S? Polycarbinite (fancy for "plastic"), wrapped in rubber.

Both cases surpass military standards.

/thread

 

[tdizzel]

I'd like to address the OP:
Samsung IS NOT ANDROID!!! Yes, Samsung phones run Android, but to point out a perceived flaw in Android and then talk about Samsung examples as if they are the entirety of Android is garbage at best.
Xperia Z2-Glass back
HTC One (bothversions)-Aluminum
Moto X - Wood back available
Moto Droids - Kevlar back
"Android" phones aren't made of plastic. Android phones have options(unlike iPhones btw) So please get that straight first and foremost.

 

[tx_tuff]

Just because something is made out of metal does not mean the "build quality" is better! If that was true there would be no market for iPhone cases, but take a look at everywhere from the pet store to the gas station and everywhere in between and you will see iPhone cases for sale. In fact what you are calling "cheap plastic" in some instances can hold up better. Not only that but the radios, NFC etc.. work better sending and receiving signals through plastic is easier compared to sending and receiving them through metal. What was it the iPhone 5 when it first came out that you had to hold it a certain way just to get a good signal, that was because of the all metal build including the metal sides like you wish your Nexus phone had.

Anyway that's my 2 cents.

 

[TechTinker]

I hate metal devices, it may just be me but I hate the feel, and their kinda ugly to me. I guess I can see the appeal, but aluminum is not premium..
The Moto X feels better than any glass or metal phone I've held, lol

 

[Relgoshan]

It was likely in an effort to balance cost, quality, and function (removable back). Who knows if they'll stick with it, though: Samsung replaces head of mobile design (updated)

Definitely take a look at the Xperia Z2 and One M8 as examples of Android built without the plastic.

Do not use the M8 as representative of quality metal construction. Just look at their subforum, there's many small issues with the first run.

 

[Relgoshan]

Man I smell some iOS trolling in this thread. Let's break down a couple neat examples.

I have had one metal phone with a removable plastic back. Kyocera Echo. Totally indestructible, but so heavy you would not believe. I have had two plastic phones and am currently on a third - the LG G Flex. No issues with sturdiness in any of them up to now either. Build quality is not just handfeel, it's how the device holds up. And all my "cheap" plastic phones never broke.

Metal body phones with reasonable mass are often less durable and less repairable. Metal does not bounce back. A plastic body is easier to open with a spudger if you need to replace something. You have to deal with the material expansion coefficient between the metal and the glass, it can increase chances of a cracked screen sometimes.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Do not use the M8 as representative of quality metal construction. Just look at their subforum, there's many small issues with the first run.

At the same time, a forum shouldn't be used to measure how something works. By that logic, the Android OS is riddled with problems, as many people come here asking for help with problems.
Not many people go on a forum just to say 'Nothing bad with my device. Everything is great.'

From an SOKP Nexus 5

 

[BBSeattle]

My wife has had just about every iPhone; love the design and build quality. Can't deny that Apple put a lot of thought into their products.
That being said, I hate everything else about Apple. Clunky, invasive, boring and unimaginative......give me a plastic Android all day long.

 

[Relgoshan]

At the same time, a forum shouldn't be used to measure how something works. By that logic, the Android OS is riddled with problems, as many people come here asking for help with problems.
Not many people go on a forum just to say 'Nothing bad with my device. Everything is great.'

From an SOKP Nexus 5

Very true! I think several issues like the camera lens cover are quite limited and will go away soon, but the peeling htc lettering and the taped on speaker covers seem like issues that will eventually show up for a lot more people over time.

I really like the concept of the M8 but I felt their execution at this time was weak, and I cannot recommend it to my repair customers.

I would love to see injection molded alloy taking off soon, but who knows where that technology sits right now. Either that or more and better damage resistant coatings.

Choice in plastics is tricky. If you go with plain bare plastic it does look and feel cheaper, and most of the plastics chosen show scuffs and fingerprints. Painted plastic always wears down to the plastic underneath, which can look hideous.

Of course my Echo was copper alloy, electroplated, then semigloss black enamel baked on, then a matte black soft layer above that. And eventually I wore the corners all the way thru to the copper alloy anyway.

I think Samsung's excessive cheap and slippery feeling comes from cutting corners on a phone that is highly likely to end up in a case. Most of the glass and metal phones end up in cases too, and dirt inside the case scuffs them up anyway. I don't think my Flex is going to survive unblemished going caseless, but I want to see how it holds up. At any cost we need materials to build a phone with NO case needed again, and a finish that repels damage for a year or two. Plastic, paint or blow molded alloy...I just want a phone-sized phone in my pocket with no doofy cases again.

 

[pappy53]

Cost is part of it but ease of manufacturing is probably a bigger concern. Samsung wants to sell high volume and it is difficult if it takes longer to manufacture

dpham00, Android Central Moderator
Sent from my Verizon Samsung Galaxy Note 3

I don't know about that, as Apple sells at a very high volume. The 5s is the world's best-selling smartphone. 5c is #2, and it is plastic.

 

[amdroidboi]

Its to save us money when they break for eg iphone made out of glass or alliminuim when they fall higher chance of breaking whereas if plastic falls you might have a couple of scuffs and no serious consiquences

Posted via Android Central App

 

[MetalxAssassinx]

I'd like to address the OP:
Samsung IS NOT ANDROID!!! Yes, Samsung phones run Android, but to point out a perceived flaw in Android and then talk about Samsung examples as if they are the entirety of Android is garbage at best.
Xperia Z2-Glass back
HTC One (bothversions)-Aluminum
Moto X - Wood back available
Moto Droids - Kevlar back
"Android" phones aren't made of plastic. Android phones have options(unlike iPhones btw) So please get that straight first and foremost.

Someone just said the words out of my mouth...

 

[nessinhaw]

well...plastic is widely used not only because it's cheap but a lot more resistant than aluminum, for example, it is harder to deform upon taking impact!

you can also give plastic many lvls of hardness (from samsung backcovers that flexes to nokia sturdy polycarbonate backcovers), texture, pattern and finish!

for example...my black Moto X has this cool pattern on the back and a kind of a rubberized finish that makes it the grab feel better and less slippery!

sent from my Moto X <3

 

[zkSharks]

Do not use the M8 as representative of quality metal construction. Just look at their subforum, there's many small issues with the first run.

I see those as effects of early manufacturing, which should ideally be caught in QA and addressed at the source in short time. The M8 I've used has held up very well and without issue so far. I'm referring to the M8 as it lives up to HTC's design; that is, a model without early defects.

Also recognize we do tend to see a disproportionate amount of problems compared to success stories with any given device, especially right after launch.

 

[Relgoshan]

I see those as effects of early manufacturing, which should ideally be caught in QA and addressed at the source in short time. The M8 I've used has held up very well and without issue so far. I'm referring to the M8 as it lives up to HTC's design; that is, a model without early defects.

Also recognize we do tend to see a disproportionate amount of problems compared to success stories with any given device, especially right after launch.

Yes, agreed mostly. I just think those bedeviled plastic speaker covers held with tape could have been metal and/or could have had recessed clips.

 

[_Zguy__]

In rhe GS5 I really like the plastic back, its soft provides good grip and looks good and I dont have to worry about it breaking which I did in the glass nexus 4. The plastic sides however I hate because the chrome trim feels cheap and its oddly shaped. The plastic may be better on the screen though and make it less likely to crack and I appreciate that

 

[silverdroid09]

cheaper cost, and actually might be more durable. Glass casing (like apple) are VERY fragile when dropped

 

[Crichton333]

Because Android phones are made to pop open the back lid to access the battery and iPhones are meant to stay closed.

 

[iishaneparkii]

The Galaxy S6, Nexus 6P, HTC One series, Most Huawei phones, and a few others are made out of Glass and metal. Almost any high end windows laptops are made out of metal these days.

 

[Inders99]

I legit could care less about what a phone is made out of unless it restricts or hampers an operation...like removable backs for battery replacement. Mine gets a case anyway. It's a tool for me, nothing else.