Plastic was widely used in smartphone design only a few years ago, but has since been widely used by glass on many modern devices. Now that phones regularly cross the $ 1,000 barrier, most buyers have become accustomed to expecting the premium feel of glass on these expensive devices. Well, this is not quite the case with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20.
While the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra uses an extensive amount of glass in its design, the $ 1000 Galaxy Note 20 uses glass piece, an understated glass-like plastic that Samsung hopes to offer a better look and feel than traditional plastic.
In a recent piece addressing glass piece, we asked readers if the decision to use plastic instead of glass on a premium smartphone is a problem. Here’s what you told us.
Do you think $ 1,000 phones should be made of plastic?
The results
This was a heinous one who got just under 2,100 votes, but there is a clear majority here.
More than 1,200 respondents – just over 60% – stated that plastic “should never be on flagship smartphones”, reflective remarks that we also received on our glasstic advice piece.
Most users do not believe that plastic has a place on a phone that has the top model range of a company, in particular considering that Samsung flagships have used a metal and glass construction since 2015. There is also an argument for price versus value, and the Galaxy Note 20 seems to fall short of offering users a decent balance between the two.
There are some readers who do not care about the plastic. Only more than a quarter of respondents did not see the use of plastic as a problem, but suggested that the “appearance and feel of the plastic” is important. From a distance, the back of the Galaxy Note 20 can be easily damaged with frosted glass. There is also a case of Samsung for using glass piece instead of glass. The former hides unusual stains, according to the company, and adds to the durability of a device as it sinks.
Besibbe: Note 20 vs Galaxy S20 Series: Which should you buy?
Ultimately, there does not seem to be a brand large enough to guarantee plastic flagships, at least not with a four-figure price tag. Just 14.2% of respondents would “find using a plastic flagship.”
Interestingly, readers have problems beyond the use of plastic on phones. The main problem of the Galaxy Note 20 does not seem to be the construction, but rather the specifications for sub-flagship at a flagship price. Comments were pretty shocking in this regard, and you can read them below.
Here’s what you had to say
- Drone9: To the rich who are constantly buying their products and telling Samsung that they are crazy, everything is ridiculous. No phone is worth more than $ 600 period.
- Goran: Plastic back on note 20 is not the problem. Price and specifications are. Note 20 is made to point you to buying Ultra. And to make Ultra “ridiculous”. Samsung’s illusion. Exynos in Europe and other markets is a disastrous choice.
- MatteBlack: Whether it was leather, vegan leather, or some other “premium” material – but that’s not even the main problem. They cut waaaaay too many corners with the regular note. I would say it’s a $ 700 phone, max.
- Marl / o: Plastic is not the problem: specs / price is.
- ArchonJK: Honestly, I like it with a flagship that has plastic for reasons of durability (as long as it’s well built and does not snap in half). But the 1080p 60hz screen on the Note 20, a $ 1000 phone, is simply not acceptable. And it’s not that Samsung took the money saved on glass to improve the screen, they’re just packing the money.
- Nostromo: The preference is of course subjective, but when I think back to my phones from the past twenty years it’s the rubberized back of the early Motorola Droids, the Kevlar-backed Droid RAZRs and the textured back of the LG V10 that I remember it very well. Not everyone will have the same memories as me, but that is to be expected.
That’s it for our plastic interview. Thanks for the votes and comments on this. If you have further thoughts on the results, be sure to drop them below!
