Samsung could switch out its preferred plastic smartphone builds for metal next year, according to reports from Korea.
The word comes via Korean newspaper ETNews citing ‘industry sources’ as saying Samsung will consider metals, including aluminium. The company has previously also been rumoured to be considering carbon fibre.
While Samsung’s Galaxy devices have proved immensely popular with consumers, critics have often pointed to the cheap feeling, though nonetheless relatively robust, plastic finishes, which pale in comparison to higher-end polycarbonates from the likes of Nokia and HTC.
However, how Samsung implements a metal build will likely prove crucial. HTC’s metallic HTC One has proven popular with critics in terms of visual design, but it’s widely regarded as something of a delicate flower, with time spent in your pocket wearing away at the finish and drops which plastic phones shake off causing noticeable dents.
A solution to the scratches at least would be brushed metal, at least then it’s already scratched and has a nicer feel in the hand anyway. This wouldn’t stop the dents, however. In this regard carbon fibre would probably be a better choice.
According to the report, Samsung will introduce the new metallic build to its top-end devices first before following with lower-end models. Allegedly this will mean we’ll see it first on the Samsung Galaxy S5 which some are already claiming will appear in the Spring.
Samsung is also thought to be experimenting with new form factors and it’s widely known the company is working with flexible OLED technology. Whether the two design features will meet – a flexible display and a metal chassis – is anyone’s guess, although it’s believed that the first flexible screen devices will have a more traditional implementation and merely benefit from the flexible panel’s increased durability.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
Posts
No comments: