Every year we go through the same song and dance when it comes to Samsung’s devices: Which material will Samsung use for their phones? Although in the past Samsung has typically gone with a polycarbonate glossy plastic material, more recently they’ve been experimenting with different materials - like Samsung Galaxy Note’s switch from plastic to faux leather. It looks like yet another switch is imminent this year, as Samsung recently teased that when it comes to the Galaxy S6, “metals will flow” and the device will be made from the “beautiful things” in life.
Which can really only mean one thing, right?
The idea of a Samsung Galaxy S device being made primarily out of metal is one that many people have expressed an interest in, including myself. After the reveal of the revamped HTC One (the M7) with its aluminum unibody design, it seemed that the demand for Samsung to change it’s design increased dramatically. Metal is often seen as being more “premium” than plastic, probably because the material gives a little more density to an object. Given that the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One essentially went head-to-head with one another, the material each was made out of was often brought up.
Although the demand of a metal-made Galaxy S device was loud, so was the demand to keep the Galaxy S line just the way it was; there were still a lot of people that preferred polycarbonate over anything else. Lucky for those people, the Samsung Galaxy S5 remained true to Samsung’s devotion to plastic, albeit with the texture of a Band-Aid this time. Judging from both the actions and interviews from Samsung last year, the polycarbonate material was here to stay in the Galaxy S series, citing that they felt metal made a phone feel “heavy and cold”, and their goal was to keep phones warmer and “friendlier”.
But apparently being friendlier doesn’t always mean you make more friends. So now the question is...
What will a metal-made Galaxy S6 do for Samsung?
There are only two options here: Either praises will be sung or there will be a retaliation of sorts that demand Samsung go back to its old ways. If I had to take a guess, I’d have to say that the former is more likely to happen.
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 is arguably its most popular flagship, and as a flagship it does have a certain amount of prestige it needs to uphold. With metal being seen as a “premium” material, it would make sense for Samsung to use it to encase such a device. Honestly, I don’t think the actual material the device is made out of would be the biggest issue. The biggest issue I see happening is if Samsung takes away one of the more underappreciated features of their smartphones: the removable battery.
The ability to remove a battery is becoming more scarce as the years pass, and it’s something that a lot of people don’t want to lose. Hopefully Samsung has been able to keep the removable battery in this switch to metal.
I’m interested in seeing how this plays out for Samsung, but I think, for the most part, it’s a smart move. If nothing else, it’s the best way to settle the age-old debate of which material makes a better Samsung device.