Weekly Discussion

If everyone is using protective cases, does smartphone design matter?
Ilia Temelkov
Ilia Temelkov
Phonearena team
original poster
For quite a while, smartphone design has been so predictable that now the biggest differentiator between different models is the shape of the camera bump on the back. On top of that, our big, bulky, and mostly slippery devices usually get out of their boxes, so they can quickly end up wrapped in a protective case. Eventually, all new phones look like any other phone - new or old. Despite this, smartphone companies keep focusing on the aesthetics of their products. Of course, some consumers pay attention to this, and some brave souls even carry their fragile devices like they’re not a drop away from getting shattered. The vast majority of people are more sensible and not only use cases but also screen protectors, improving their devices’ durability and often the grip and handling.  So, does design really matter that much? Do you really need a shiny frame and brightly colored back if you’re going to cover it anyways? Do you think using a case is mandatory? Is the presence of a logo on the back such a big deal for you? What do you think should change in smartphone designs?
Do you use a case on your phone?
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Do you use a case on your phone?
Community Highlights
trakk8
trakk8 says:
Long form videos is a good idea.But vision pro won't replace iPhone.These kind of devices will replace televisions,gaming consoles and possibly PC's and tablets. The quest pro 2 will do it first. It is in talks with LG to do that in various ways. Or so I have read. The thing that will replace phones is of course rollables and later rollables will evolve into strap-on ( to the wrist) bendable phones. I remember talking about this earlier too here. Later smart spectacles will replace phones, after that smart contacts then after that implanted chips in the brain by 2040. Edit: Or smart specs could exist alongside wrist strap-on phones by the end of this decade as a replacement to current phones. Then next decade smart contacts. These could be used as topics too for your video series down the line.
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ECPirate37
ECPirate37 says:
Great article. These people can sound really convincing. Do what I always tell people, if anyone calls you, T-Mobile, your bank, your credit card, anyone, politely hand up and call the service back at the number you have on file for them.
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MsPooks
MsPooks says:
I think Samsung is going to be hard-pressed to care much, when the ZF5 beats the Pixel Fold, depsite its smaller battery. 9.4 hours of SOT is nothing to sneeze at.
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NunoB512
NunoB512 says:
Good to see Samsung working hard to get back to where it belongs and where it had been for 13 years in a row. I like what Samsung did with the S24 series from the design (hardware) to the AI integration (they kept it simple, didn't overdue it), and especially One UI 6.1, to me is this year's stand out feature. And we are still half way, we still have the Foldables and the Ring to look forward to. But to be fair this is only one quarter, I want to see the year to year numbers.
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TuGa121
TuGa121 says:
I like it companies like apple and samsung try to keep everything behind close doors so they can show the new stuff on the day of the presentation and they cant because everyone already knows whats coming. Its been years since any big company was able to hold off any leak until the presentation day. Now this dude got caught just like when samsung caught one 2 years ago now you pay for the bs.I know we like to know whats coming early including myself but as you knwo now the upgrades from one year to another are less and less by the time the day comes everyone knows whats the new stuff all about.
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rsiders
rsiders says:
It’s time we really start holding Google accountable for their blatant shortcomings when it comes to camera hardware and separation between the “Pro” and regular model. Both competing manufacturers in Samsung and Apple include at the very least a 3x telephoto sensor in their flagship models regardless of size. The fact that Google simply ignores this for the smaller model and now the supposed XL model is simply ridiculous to me and makes no sense. Smaller doesn’t mean less but should get as close to the same treatment as the bigger model which is powered by the same chipset. Do better Google and give more features to the smaller phones.
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