Metal vs plastic. What materials are smartphone cases made of, their pros and cons

Before the advent of the first iPhone, phone designs were very rich and varied. Special people often met visiting Nokia models. But after the presentation of the iPhone 2G in 2007, everything changed. All phones became the same – a boring black outline with a display all over the front.

If everything is clear with the display and nothing really changes there, here is the frame and back cover made of steel with room for the designers’ imagination. In addition to the appearance, they also experimented with the use of various materials.

I tell you what materials are used and used for smartphone cases, as well as their pros and cons. Manufacturing examples:

1. Plastic. Most material

The iPhone 5c case is made of polycarbonate in five colors: green, blue, yellow, pink and white.

Since the advent of the first mobile phones until today, plastic has been one of the most popular materials for the manufacture of cases. The raw materials are cheap, and their production can practically produce a product of any shape without special need.

The plastic body itself can be made in a glossy, matte or textured form, or even with an imitation of casing, wood or metal. Also, the body can have any color, which practically does not change over time – just remember the bright iPhone 5C or the Lumia line from Nokia.

Nokia Lumia 1020 with a bright yellow plastic body

Initially, all phones had a plastic body. But while product manufacturers began experimenting with other materials in their flagships, plastic began to be used in most models in the budget and mid-price categories.

✅ Advantages of plastic:

► Low cost of material and production. Raw materials are available, easy to mold
► Large selection of colors. You can choose any color from millions of shades
► No connection problems. The plastic does not interfere with the operation of external antennas and radio waves work well.
► Durable. The plastic case is difficult to break or deform

❌ Achievements of plastic:

► Appearance and tactile sensations. Most of the plastics used look cheap.
► Practically does not remove heat from internal elements, which can lead to overheating.
► Plastic is softer than metal or glass, so it will scratch more quickly during use.

🛒 Buy a smartphone with a plastic case:

► Infinix Note 30 for RUB 14,990.
► Samsung Galaxy A54 5G for RUB 28,990.
► Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 4G for RUB 13,990.
► ASUS Zenfone 10 for 67,847 rubles.

2. Metal. Reliable and solid

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were the last iPhones to feature metal backs.

Manufacturers gradually introduced this material into the casings of their devices – at first it could be just inserts or just the battery compartment cover. For example, some models of Nokia and Sony Ericsson phones had metal back covers. But over time, the metal elements became larger or the entire body was made of them.

The metal body looks durable and reliable. It feels good to cool your hand, and also evokes a feeling of reliability of the assembly and the device itself. Some time ago, metal was used only in flagships, but now it is no longer uncommon in the budget segment.

Aluminum is a soft metal, so it is used in alloys with other enhancements to increase strength. But the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were not durable enough

As an item to use, use aluminum, less often steel and titanium. Premium or limited custom models may use silver or gold. For example, precious metals uses Vertu in its phones, which can hardly be called mass models due to high prices.

✅ Advantages of metal:

► Appearance. The metal in the case looks like an extra and expensive
► Tactile sensations. This case is simply pleasant to hold in your hand.
► Thermal conductivity. It removes heat well from internal elements, the smartphone does not overheat during resource-intensive tasks.

❌ Metal achievements:

► Thermal conductivity. This can also be considered a disadvantage. The case can be cold in winter, but very hot in summer
► Poor conductivity. Metal does not handle radio waves well, so manufacturers have to make plastic inserts for antennas in the housing.
► Weight. Smartphones with metal casings are heavier than those with plastic casings, so it can be a drag on your pants or shorts pocket.
► Deformed. If the special case is subject to impact, it may bend or dent when impacted or dropped.

🛒 Buy a smartphone with a metal body:

► Apple iPhone 13 (aluminum and glass) for RUB 55,490.
► Google Pixel 7 Pro (aluminum) for RUB 61,820.
► Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max (titanium) for RUB 137,947.
► Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (titanium) for RUB 134,524.

3. Glass. Does not scratch, but collects fingerprints

Corning created a protective glass for the iPhone 2G, after some time, producing glass for all leading manufacturers of mobile equipment.

The first step was to use it to protect the display instead of clear glass. For example, in the iPhone 2G, the display was covered with glass developed by Corning specifically for it.

The next step was to use glass as a material for the back panel of the smartphone. The pioneers of glass backs were the iPhone 4 and Nexus 4. Starting with the Galaxy S6, Samsung also switched to glass backs in its phones.

For the first time, glass was used only in flagships, but now it is often found in the budget segment of many manufacturers.

iPhone 4 is perhaps the most beautiful iPhone with a glass and metal body

Glass is heavier than plastic, but more scratch resistant. But just like plastic, it can be matte or glossy, and also have any color.

✅ Advantages of glass:

► Appearance. Graceful and adding image
► Affordable price. Metal is cheaper and plastic is slightly more expensive.
► Conductivity. It transmits radio waves well and does not interfere with the operation of internal antennas.

❌ Glass achievements:

► Size. Can easily break if dropped or hit
► Finger marks. Special effect on glossy glass

🛒 Buy a smartphone with a glass body:

► Nothing Phone for RUB 35,286.
► Apple iPhone 15 for RUB 76,743.
► HUAWEI P60 Pro for RUB 69,210.

4. Ceramics. Expensive pleasure

Xiaomi Mi mix 2 in ceramic case

Quite rare as a body material. Most often, she uses Chinese production in her experiments.

For example, the ceramic body is made by the Xiaomi Mi mix 2, Xiaomi Mi 6 Ceramic Edition, Xiaomi 13 Pro and OnePlus X Ceramic Edition smartphones.

Ceramics can also be observed in the block camera in TECNO CAMON 20 Premier 5G.

Apple ceramic was used as a case material only in limited versions of the 2nd, 3rd and 5th generation Apple Watch.

✅ Advantages of ceramics:

► Appearance. Reminds me of glass
► Durability. More scratch resistant than glass or plastic.

❌ Achievements of ceramics:

► High cost. The material is fragile; a large amount of scrap is required during the production process.
► Small selection of colors. Unlike glass and plastic, ceramics are usually used in white and sometimes black.

🛒 Buy a smartphone with a ceramic body:

► Tecno Camon 20 Premier 5G for RUB 29,755.
► Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro for RUB 29,990.

5. Leather. Rare material, but so stylish

LG G4 smartphone with various color options for the back of genuine leather

An even rarer material than ceramics. Of the high-volume and mass-produced models, it cleverly resembles the LG G4 with a real leather cover. This material looks beautiful, expensive and tactfully pleasant. But this is not entirely practical, as it gets dirty and scratched easily.

Nowadays you probably won’t see smartphones with a leather case. Modern models have a body made of eco leather, which is closer in composition to plastic and only the texture is similar to a casing. But just like real leather, it gets dirty easily.

✅ Skin benefits:

► Nice to hold in your hand
► The smartphone will not slip out of your hand thanks to the grainy texture
► does not collect fingerprints at all

❌ Skin Features:

► remove difficult dirt
► Eco-leather does not develop a noble patina over time, but simply scratches and peels off

🛒 Buy a smartphone with a leather back cover:

► Realme 11 Pro+ for RUB 34,649.
► OPPO Reno8 T for RUB 26,729.
► HUAWEI Mate X3 for RUB 142,154.

Materials are materials, and which body is ultimately better?

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have an aluminum frame, while the Pro series models have a titanium frame.

There is no single and accurate answer to this question. Any material has both its pros and cons, and each of us chooses a choice taking into account our wishes.

If you want to be on trend now, take titanium. I like it when the body is cool to the hand, then steel is better, but aluminum will also work. For reliability and budget – a plastic case.

Well, if you carry your phone exclusively in a case, the material of the case is not so important. The device is dependent on other specifications such as camera, processor, and screen refresh rate.