Is metal becoming the new plastic?
5.59 x 2.83 x 0.31 inches
142.1 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm
5.15 oz (146 g)
5.88 x 2.91 x 0.29 inches
149.4 x 73.9 x 7.3 mm
5.61 oz (159 g)
5.48 x 2.74 x 0.33 inches
139.3 x 69.6 x 8.5 mm
5.08 oz (144 g)
6.16 x 3.05 x 0.3 inches
156.4 x 77.4 x 7.5 mm
6.00 oz (170 g)
5.59 x 2.83 x 0.31 inches
142.1 x 71.8 x 7.9 mm
5.15 oz (146 g)
5.88 x 2.91 x 0.29 inches
149.4 x 73.9 x 7.3 mm
5.61 oz (159 g)
5.48 x 2.74 x 0.33 inches
139.3 x 69.6 x 8.5 mm
5.08 oz (144 g)
6.16 x 3.05 x 0.3 inches
156.4 x 77.4 x 7.5 mm
6.00 oz (170 g)
Compare these and other phones using our Size Comparison tool.
Oh, how things have changed since our poll more than two years ago asking you whether you are more interested in phones with premium build, rather than a plastic chassis. Samsung has been lambasted for its plastic $600+ flagships for so long, that all of a sudden it changed course late in 2014 with the start of the metal Galaxy A-series, then came the metal-and-glass Galaxy S6, and it seems that most every maker since followed suit.
So much so, that today even budget handset like Samsung's new J-series, or affordable phones from Xiaomi or Meizu, are all clad in some sort of an aluminum alloy, even sub-$200 ones. That's not even adding the current flagships from LG or HTC, which are crafted out of the cold hard stuff, too. Well, HTC was one of the first to toy around with premium metal designs, and has been doing it forever, so it's really everyone else that all of a sudden switched course in the span of a year or so, but still...
That is why we wanted to ask you today whether you think that metal is slowly turning into the new plastic. Granted, it is harder, feels more solid, and ia sometimes shiny, but if everyone and their low-enders employ it, can we really call it a "premium" design anymore? Tell us your opinion in the poll below, and pile on in the comments.
Is metal becoming the new plastic?
1432 Votes
Yes, a metal phone is totally unremarkable now
30.38%
It might be, but I like metal chassis, so I'm cool with that
35.82%
No, metal still makes for a premium phone design if done well
33.8%
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