Glass or metal, which 'premium' design material do you prefer?

posted by Daniel P. / Oct 27, 2016, 6:40 AM

Glass or metal, which 'premium' design material do you prefer?

The demise of the plastic phone chassis was as abrupt as it is starting to get annoying in the past year or two. Ever since Samsung moved to metal or glass designs, even for its low-end or midrange phones, other Android makers followed suit, and it now seems harder to find a decent brand-name phone made out entirely of plastic than it is to score a metal or glass design.

Apple, of course, has utilized both "premium" material types over the course of the iPhone's existence. Google, on the other hand, might have been so perplexed what to use in its new Pixel phones so that they are unique but still premium, that it made them with half-glass, half-metal backs. This resulted in a bit of a schizophrenic backside look, and some very unique drop test results indeed.

Apple is currently utilizing metal unibodies in the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, but is rumored to move to all-glass design for the 2017 crop, while Samsung seems poised to stick with the glass-flagship-metal-midrange scheme in the foreseeable future. That is why we wanted to ask you which of the two most ubiquitous "premium" chassis materials for today's phones you prefer - glass or metal?

Glass or metal, which 'premium' design material do you prefer?

Glass

26.8%

Metal

65.11%

Why choose, Pixel for the win, baby!

8.08%

Options

63 Comments

1. 27satz

Posts: 158; Member since: Apr 28, 2014

Glass is sexy but risky

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 6:44 AM 21

39. sgodsell

Posts: 7195; Member since: Mar 16, 2013

Motorola has proven to the world with the Moto X force and now their Moto Z force that they do not break or shatter. So if they use that glass/composite materials on the front and back. Then it's a win. I think Motorola should start selling that to other OEMs. That certainly would put a lot of screen repair places out of business.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 8:28 AM 0

48. Pabliell

Posts: 179; Member since: Mar 22, 2016

Problem is the shatterproof display Motorola uses is made of plastic. It scratches really easily. You need to apply another layer of protection on top of that yourself.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 9:21 AM 1

49. TechieXP1969

Posts: 14967; Member since: Sep 25, 2013

OEM don't have to buy from Moto, they have the capability to make their own. Moto basically just went back to using plastic for the top glass. They made it softer which prevents breakage, and they put a real layer of protection on top to help with scratches.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 9:22 AM 0

56. Master_Oogway

Posts: 104; Member since: Oct 06, 2016

In today's standards, I prefer only CERAMIC... It's just awesomely gorgeous and almost 100% scratch proof....

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 11:16 AM 0

60. PHYCLOPSH

Posts: 652; Member since: Jun 28, 2014

Glass is like going bare and nothing compares to that feeling.. Metal is more protective but the sensation isn't as good, to be honest no one uses protection now anyway...

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 5:47 PM 0

2. Podrick

Posts: 1284; Member since: Aug 19, 2015

Metal. I'd even take plastic over glass.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 6:46 AM 12

3. Plasticsh1t

Posts: 3100; Member since: Sep 01, 2014

I want a phone made from vibranium.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 6:47 AM 4

17. aznhachi

Posts: 212; Member since: Apr 12, 2016

and replace battery with miniature arc reactor

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 7:33 AM 5

32. trojan_horse

Posts: 5868; Member since: May 06, 2016

Lol. But a drawback of metal is wireless charging. I still prefer glass anyways, as it tends to be a lighter build than metal.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 8:14 AM 1

41. marorun

Posts: 5029; Member since: Mar 30, 2015

i dont like wireless charging.. cable one is like 2-3 time faster..

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 8:36 AM 1

45. trojan_horse

Metal also has issues of weak signal reception, no? Glass over metal any day. But, Samsung's Glass and Metal combo is so stylish.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 9:07 AM 3

50. TechieXP1969

What? Samsung's Fast Wireless Charger is only 15 mins slower than the wired one. Works just fine. Quickcharge 2.0 whether wired or wireless is faster at charging, than any phone using normal charging standard. Even wireless, the S7's and Note 7, wireless fast charge, faster than 90% of the phones on the market.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 9:24 AM 0

52. TechieXP1969

It just require a special case. It doesn't prevent wireless charging if its a metal phone. It just makes it less convenient.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 9:25 AM 0

4. iushnt

Posts: 3086; Member since: Feb 06, 2013

I still prefer plastic

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 6:48 AM 5

53. TechieXP1969

Poly-carbonate?!

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 9:26 AM 0

5. jellmoo

Posts: 2562; Member since: Oct 31, 2011

Metal all the way. My S7 edge is the first phone I've had where I absolutely feel like I *need* a case on it.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 6:48 AM 3

6. Marslander

Posts: 160; Member since: Jan 08, 2015

I'd definitely choose Metal over Glass. But if I had my way, I'd take Ceramic over both of them in terms of durability and "sex appeal".

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 6:48 AM 1

31. sissy246

Posts: 7066; Member since: Mar 04, 2015

But ceramic will break too.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 8:10 AM 0

42. marorun

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/411301/ceramics-that-wont-shatter/

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 8:38 AM 0

44. Marslander

It can, but it's still more durable than glass.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 8:50 AM 0

7. irossdrummer

Posts: 366; Member since: Jan 17, 2015

Glass is far prettier but more risky... there is apple's glossy metal but scratches like nothing... I'm just gonna vote metal because it feels nocer and is more durable (unless it's jet black)

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 6:49 AM 4

8. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

er... ceramic?

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 6:58 AM 1

21. marorun

Mi Mix baby ;)

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 7:52 AM 0

9. truthwins unregistered

I want a phone to be made from titanium

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 7:00 AM 1

19. Lyngdoh

Posts: 319; Member since: Sep 06, 2012

Metal it is for you.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 7:41 AM 0

46. AmashAziz

Posts: 2898; Member since: Jun 30, 2014

There was such a phone last year, being shown on phonearena.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 9:16 AM 0

10. sip1995

Posts: 1771; Member since: Feb 07, 2014

Polycarbonate ftw.

posted on Oct 27, 2016, 7:01 AM 6

11. Feanor

Posts: 1346; Member since: Jun 20, 2012

Glass because 1) it allows radio signals to pass through and it doesn't need plastic antenna lines, or other plastic insert parts 2) it comes in so many finishes (from super mirror shiny of the Z5 premium to the matt frosted of the simple Z5) 3) it is in real life less prone to scratches than both aluminium and plastic and it keeps its condition better as long a you're a bit careful not to drop it.