Apple's plastic iPhone 5C - A Discussion on Durability

[slugg]

Am I the only one who thinks that plastic is a superior material over aluminium for mobile devices? Plastic doesn't scratch as easily. Plastic does not dent. Plastic doesn't get as hot. Yet Apple insists on building the inferior version of their product into the plastic housing. So what are the pros and cons of the iPhone 5C? I can only hope that it would be more durable. So, besides price (which is negligible over 2 years, less than 5%), I'm assuming this is the only potential advantage the 5C offers.

So let's talk about Apple's plastic products. Historically, plastic mobile devices were never put in cases. Remember the flip phones? And what about the classic smart phones, like Palm Treo? None of those were ever typically put in cases because they were already durable and rugged to begin with. But then Apple came out with the iPod. My first iPod was the 30 GB iPod Video in black. I remember taking it out if the box and putting it in my pocket, then taking it back out and BAM, the entire thing had scratches all over it. The market for cases exploded because you were FORCED to use a case if you wanted to take care of your product. And keep in mind, folks, the iPods of yesteryear were plastic, not glass. In the front, anyway... I'm ignoring the rear.

Other plastic apple products include the original iMac, where the plastic chassis was too weak to hold the CRT monitor and it would sag, effectively breaking the optical drive. Then you have the iBooks that would overheat and discolor, in addition to being prone to scratching. Then you have the MacBooks that would discolor at the palm rest, also being prone to scratching. Apple just doesn't seem to be able to make good plastic products.

Let's look at some competing products. ThinkPads are mainly plastic, yet they're renown for their durability. Nokia phones are plastic and are renown for their durability. Zune, although a failure, was the same. You never saw these products in cases because they just didn't need it.

So what about this iPhone 5C? It's more than likely going to get all scratched and chipped and otherwise ruined just as easily as all of Apple's other plastic products. So you'll need a case anyway. So the need for a case negates the advantage of it being made out of plastic. It even negates the advantage of picking the device color, since cases can be colored and you'll need a case anyway. So the only thing left is price. Over two years, you will save roughly 5% with an iPhone 5C versus an iPhone 5S.

Do you think paying 5% more over 2 years is worth the superior phone? I do. So what's the point of the iPhone 5C? I just don't see it.

 

[MontyAC]

I'm ok with plastic. My phone always has a screen protector and a case.

 

[JAG87]

Aluminum is a much better material than plastic, just because people can't take care of it doesn't mean otherwise. And don't confuse the old iPod's chromed back with aluminum. That was a poor choice because the surface was just too inclined to get dents, scratches, finger prints and so on. It was just a bling factor.

 

[MrX8503]

I still prefer metal over plastic. The iPhone 5C looks dated next to the current 5.

 

[Aikouka]

Plastic doesn't get as hot.

Yes, that's because plastic serves as an insulator for heat, which is what you don't want. Those metal bodies on phones typically help serve as (relatively) giant heatsinks for dissipating the SoC's excess heat.

Although, when you end up stuffing the metal-based phone into a plastic/rubber/whatever case, the metal casing will not shed heat as effectively. Also, I doubt that Apple mostly cares about the heat dissipation. Their #1 reason for using aluminum is probably just the look and feel.

So what are the pros and cons of the iPhone 5C?

If I had to guess, it'll be cheaper, but not as powerful as the 5S. The 5S will most likely see a new SoC (A7), and Apple needs somewhere to put all those A6s.

I can only hope that it would be more durable.

Eh, the thing is... when I see most people damage their phones, it usually isn't the casing that gets damaged. They typically damage the screen.

 

[Anteaus]

I prefer metal but plastic is actually useful for absorbing impacts.. In other words, if you drop or hit your phone the resulting energy must go somewhere, and if the body is too rigid to flex then the energy will end up in more vital areas. Ironically, people spend money on phones wrapped in metal and gorilla glass and then run out and encase them in plastic shells.

The bottom line is that from a durability/price control standpoint plastic is superior, but metal is greatly preferred mt most people for aesthetics and handling.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I'm ok with plastic. My phone always has a screen protector and a case.

This.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

I have always preferred the "quality" feel of metal. I had 2 Motorola RAZR's (flip style) before I got my iPhone. The quality of those was head and shoulders above the plastic phones of the day. My first cell phone was a Motorola StarTAC. That was plastic, but it was very thick and durable plastic.

I also had a Nokia candybar style phone once. No doubt, the plastic was durable and certainly didn't leave me feeling a huge lack of quality (although it could be cracked if dropped on the right weak spot). However, the outer shell of those phones was effectively a case anyway. You could remove the front and back (including the button cover and screen cover) and replace them with any color of case that you wanted. Do you not remember all of those mall kiosks selling replacement cases for gazillions of Nokia phones?

In the end, I think that Apple is making the right choices with regards to materials. I love my iPhone 5 and keep it un-clad most of the time. Its slimness is second to none, and it's just a pleasure to hold and use it.... even sliding it into a pocket feels good. If I anticipate rough usage, I put it into a case. The nice thing about the iP5 being so slim to begin with, is that even with a case, most of the time you're looking at comparable thickness to competitive phones and/or the previous generations of iPhone.

As a minor correction to the OP, many of the high-end ThinkPads have magnesium alloy shells. These often look and feel kind of plastic, but they are actually made out of metal. The rest is made out of a high quality plastic. The quality of the ThinkPad plastic has always been very good.

Also, I will state that the plastic used in non-Pro MacBooks is actually quite durable. I have a first-gen (2006, Core Duo) MB that is still going strong. The plastic is scratched as hell, and kind of dirty, but it has not cracked a bit. The keyboard / palm rest area is made out of a different plastic and was poorly designed. Most of the edge of the palm rest broke off some time ago. I believe the same to apply to the iPods; I have seen many that look like crap and are scratched to bits, but I don't think I've ever seen one actually broken or cracked (I have seen broken/cracked screens, although I believe this to be a different piece, behind the outer plastic). (Although the back of my iPhone 3GS started cracking around the bottom where the Dock connector plugs in.)

I will however state that I disagree with Apple's "all shiny, all the time" design choices for most of their plastic products. A matte plastic surface would be just as durable and have fewer problems with visible scratches. I am glad that on their aluminum products, they tend to use a matte finish.

Lastly, I will say that the dimensional and design stability of the Apple products has made it far easier to be an accessory maker. All of Apple's portable devices have been roughly the same size and shape for quite some time. Some people decry the iPhone having the same look and shape for two generations, but it makes it far easier for the accessory makers who don't have to re-design their products every year, or every time an iPhone comes out on a new carrier.

 

[midwestfisherman]

Who ares what it is made of. As long as it is more affordable and works, I'm good with it.

 

[Eug]

Apple has a history of making plastic products that crack. My two iBooks, my non-Pro MacBook, and my iPhone 3G all had cracking issues. That said, I am hopeful they can make a 5C that doesn't crack. They sure have had enough practice.

My main concern actually is the screen. If it is noticeably worse, I'll probably not buy it.

 

[JAG87]

Apple has a history of making plastic products that crack. My two iBooks, my non-Pro MacBook, and my iPhone 3G all had cracking issues. That said, I am hopeful they can make a 5C that doesn't crack. They sure have had enough practice.

My main concern actually is the screen. If it is noticeably worse, I'll probably not buy it.

Seriously, you'd think they would have figured a composition for the plastic to make it more crack resilient, but every plastic apple product I've seen cracked at some point, and not due to impact, but simply due to heat, humidity, or body oils/acids.

 

[bearxor]

Historically, plastic mobile devices were never put in cases. Remember the flip phones? And what about the classic smart phones, like Palm Treo? None of those were ever typically put in cases because they were already durable and rugged to begin with.

Yeah, I don't think you and I remember these things exactly the same.

Phones, from the time that I began selling them in 1998, have had cases. For instance, our best selling phone in 2008 was the Qualcomm QCP-2700. A phone that would be described as a brick today but, for the time, was a pretty sleek device.

The most common accessory sold with it was a leather wrap around case. We basically sold one with each device. People wanted a way to protect their phones even then. And it didn't end with the 2700. The Nokia 2100 series had cases, even though the faceplates were user changeable. Even my puny Sony Z100 (which was basically a 2700 cut in half with a flip down microphone) had a nice leather wrap for it.

Almost every smartphone prior to the iPhone I've had a case for. The Hitachi G1000, the PPC-6600, the Treo 700wx. The only one I didn't have a case for was the Toshiba 2032SP. Because I could kill someone with that phone.

So yeah... Cases have been around a long time and will continue to be for a long time more.

 

[Kaido]

My plastic 3GS is still holding up fine, but then, so is my metal & glass 4S.

I don't like the aluminum on the Macbooks at all. It dents & scratches easily. I always buy a Speck plastic case as an exterior cover. I had much better luck with my old white plastic Macbook - it scratched, but I never got any dents in it like I did with multiple aluminum Macbooks, including the Unibody design.

 

[Eug]

When I looked for a used MacBook a few months back, most of them looked like crap, most with hairline cracks or else cracks on the edge of the palm rest/topcase. The reason the one I got looked good was because the used laptop shop made a business of getting old MacBooks and replacing the topcases for resale.

In contrast, most of the used aluBooks looked great with no cracks (obviously) or dents, although some them were scuffed. They wanted way too much money for them though, considering I just needed it for the kitchen & sofa.

My 4 year old MacBook Pro has a few mild scuff marks, but otherwise looks near new. Unfortunately, despite looking new, it's dead. I think it's just the (aftermarket) SSD though.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2337210

 

[smackababy]

I can't imagine a plastic 5C would be less durable than the glass 4/4s. Those were notorious for shattering with just a small fall. The 5C could probably absorb some of that damage and just scuff.

 

[deathBOB]

I hope we see some matte plastic like the matte finish on the IPhone 5 and ipad minis.

 

[Rakehellion]

Plastic doesn't scratch as easily. Plastic does not dent. Plastic doesn't get as hot.

Al three of these things are false.

1. They both have a Mohs hardness of about 3.
2. Plastic bends and dents. And unlike aluminum, it may even crack under normal use.
3. Aluminum has a high thermal conductivity, so the entire device gets slightly warm instead of a single spot getting very hot.

 

[MotionMan]

I'm ok with plastic. My phone always has a screen protector and a case.

When I had the iPhone 3G, I put one of those screen protectors on the front and something similar on the back and was done.

With the iPhone 4 and 5, I felt like I had to put them in a case to protect the edges and glass backs.

If the next iPhone I get is plastic, I feel like I can throw away the case and go naked (well, clear) again.

MotionMan

 

[Kaido]

I still have my 3GS and it has held up just fine with a toddler throwing it around. Plastic is great in my book :thumbsup:

 

[jpeyton]

There are varying grades of plastic. Look at 900-series Nokia Lumia phones for an example. The matte finish looks great, feels great, is durable, and doesn't scratch easily.

The iPhone 5C's glossy finish looks cheap, and will show scratches a lot easier than a matte finish. Anybody with a gloss plastic MacBook can attest to this.

 

[Koing]

When I looked for a used MacBook a few months back, most of them looked like crap, most with hairline cracks or else cracks on the edge of the palm rest/topcase. The reason the one I got looked good was because the used laptop shop made a business of getting old MacBooks and replacing the topcases for resale.

In contrast, most of the used aluBooks looked great with no cracks (obviously) or dents, although some them were scuffed. They wanted way too much money for them though, considering I just needed it for the kitchen & sofa.

My 4 year old MacBook Pro has a few mild scuff marks, but otherwise looks near new. Unfortunately, despite looking new, it's dead. I think it's just the (aftermarket) SSD though.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2337210

My 2008 white Macbook has those hairline cracks by the palm rests and around the edges . It's held up pretty dam well over the last 5yrs and it has given me a serious amount of value over that time frame. Upgraded the ram from 1GB to 4GB and later a 256GB Samsung 830 Pro SSD and it runs a lot faster. Got a 2nd hand battery as well. But it's showing it's age and I'm just waiting on a haswell rMBP to come out so I can get something new. Still debating either the 13" or the 15" though.

Koing

 

[MrX8503]

There are varying grades of plastic. Look at 900-series Nokia Lumia phones for an example. The matte finish looks great, feels great, is durable, and doesn't scratch easily.

The iPhone 5C's glossy finish looks cheap, and will show scratches a lot easier than a matte finish. Anybody with a gloss plastic MacBook can attest to this.

I don't like gloss, but scratch videos of the 5C makes it look durable.

 

[Red Storm]

I never buy cases for my phones doesn't matter if they're plastic, metal, or glass. I expect the 5C to hold up better than the 5 in normal day to day use because in my experience plastic does the job better than metal, but I also think the 5C with its candy coated colors looks butt ugly. Instead of getting the nice looking 5 for cheaper they replaced it with a thicker, uglier model. But, at the end of the day at least they now offer multiple models.

 

[Eug]

The 5C has a secondary protective lacquer coating. That's something a lot of other plastic devices don't have. I'm not sure how well that lacquer will hold up though, but presumably it's there to increase scratch resistance.

My friend's black 5 on the other hand looked horrible within weeks, since he (initially) didn't use a case. His solution to hid the exposed aluminum was a black marker. Now he just uses a case. As I've said in the other threads, if I were to get an iPhone 5S, the only thing holding me back from getting the gold would be the scratch resistance. The silver is apparently just textured aluminum, so the colour is the native colour, and scratches won't expose a different underlying colour.

As for the scratch resistance of the MacBook, I agree my used one is more noticeably scratched up than my (babied) MacBook Pro, but it still looks way better than my friend's black iPhone 5. His iPhone 5 reminds me of the metallic red iPhone 3G backplate I got (after the original white Apple plastic backplate started to crack). That cheap red eBay backplate scratches easily, so the red rubs off, exposing the colour beneath it. Looks horrible. I even thought of getting a new $10 backplate, but I don't think it's worth it, considering the 3G is uber slow, and it's a real biatch disassembling and reassembling the damn thing. Not for the faint of heart. I just use it as an iPod these days, almost permanently docked.

 

[DA CPU WIZARD]

Plastic costs less to produce than aluminum. Therefore, the common perception is that aluminum is more premium than plastic. Did you think that Apple exclusively makes their products out of aluminum because aluminum is superior over other materials, such as plastic? If Apple could get away with selling the iPhone 5S out of plastic, trust me, they would. I mean, seriously... Who doesn't like crazy profit margins?

The fact of the matter is that Apple makes their products out of aluminum because they are selling a premium device. Consumers expect a premium device to be made of what they perceive to be premium materials.