‘Plastic Fantastic’ is the first phrase that comes to mind when I think of Samsung phones, but not necessarily in a bad way. Plastic body based phones do have many practical advantages over metal casings that people seem to forget about, because well… they don’t feel or look as nice. I prefer a metal casing, but the general dislike for plastic ones is a little over critical.
The Galaxy Note III will follow the same formula used for the Galaxy S IV, so you’re getting the carbon-patterned polycarbonate back. At the very least it means the Note III will be slimmer and lighter than the previous model, and hopefully a bit stronger. In related news, I have the unfortunate opportunity to announce that Samsung’s promised flexible screens WON’T be featured on the Note III. Very sad indeed.
So let’s have a look at the differences between plastic and metal bodies and see which one comes out on top.
Plastic:
- Light
Have you held a metal phone? They must weight twice as much…
- Strong
My Galaxy Nexus is covered in the stuff, despite several significant drops onto concrete and bricks there are no noticeable marks (with no case or screen protector).
- Removable Back
Honestly not that much of a deal for me, but those that like to be able to replace their batteries will find this a very useful feature.
Metal:
- Looks Nice
It does, that subtle shine makes it quite appealing.
- Feels Nice
Not quite sure what it is, but holding a heavier and metal feeling phone just makes it feel like it’s better made.
- Will dent instead of cracking
Just due to the flexible nature of metal, it should make a phone’s case far less likely to crack. Can’t say the same for the screen unfortunately.
My Choice:
So were I to choose between having a metal or plastic case, I would stick with the metal and just tell myself to be more careful with it. The difference for me isn’t great enough to truly get annoyed about, so the Note III’s plastic body wouldn’t be the deal breaker for me.
Here’s a quick rundown on the expected specifications for the Note III
- Octa-core processor with Quad-core 1.9GHz Cortex-A15 and Quad-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A7
- 13-megapixel rear camera
- 2-megapixel front camera
- Up-to-date version of Android with Samsung TouchWiz (eww)
- 5.99-Inch Full HD AMOLED display
- ‘Plastic Fantastic’ Body
In all honesty I really don’t blame Samsung for continuing with the plastic trend. When you take home 95% of Android phone profits, you don’t dramatically change the recipe. You alter and hone it so that people that are already hooked don’t go anywhere. I reckon that Samsung could probably make a lot more money if they made a metal cased phone for at least one of their products, it would make people like me more likely to endure TouchWiz. I turn it over to you readers! What do you think? Plastic or Metal?
Source [SamMobile]