I'll agree that aluminum isn't ideal if your phone takes any kind of physical impact, and yes there are engineering challenges to keep the metal from blocking the radios. A metal body doesn't need to have hard edges or be unergonomic (is that a word? :hmm
, but I'll agree that aluminum does dent more easily (versus cracking for plastic, which usually takes more force).
Most aluminum body phones are unibody and a bit more svelte than the standard plastic body phone. That's partly a visual design choice that does come with drawbacks, but I, for one, am glad we have options. I don't think all phones should be plastic even if it has more things going for it as a material vs aluminum. Equivalent argument for cars would be saying, "I'm sorry, but leather is a terrible material for car interiors". Sure, you could make the argument that cloth is better for more situations, but plenty of people prefer leather. Personal taste is a factor when you are talking about the design and material choices of things that you touch and use.
But there are other metals than aluminum that are better suited for other reasons for phone construction than aluminum, and even aluminum itself has different grades and thicknesses... it need not be a worse choice overall than plastic. I love the magnesium alloy Microsoft uses for the Surface line, for instance, though that's still not as sturdy as a plastic body would be.
I actual prefer the feel of metal versus plastic, though certain soft touch plastics aren't bad and are less slippery. Some materials like steel (at least for the frame) or carbon fiber may give phones a higher quality feel and sturdier construction in the future, but cost and weight are the main reasons plastic and aluminum are the main choices right now. We'll probably see more mixed material/composite bodies in the future, with metal frames, plastic or metal backs, and other materials like ceramic (LG is already using ceramic coatings) for good measure. The original Motorola Droid for instance was nigh indestructible, but smartphones have trended towards lighter bodies since then.
Titanium would be great to use as well if it weren't so expensive, though I'm sure it could be done for the highest end flagships. The Turing phone uses some exotic metal that's supposedly stronger than titanium.
The last aluminum body phone I owned was the HTC One M8, and I found it to be rather sturdy (the M7 - though prettier - had some issues). It may not have been as tough as its primary competitor, the Galaxy S5, but I think it's good enough proof that aluminum can be used in a design without majorly compromising usability or durability*.
* Just speaking from my own experience... I'm sure you can find someone with an anecdote about how easily their phone broke from a fall or something, but the same is true of almost any phone given the right circumstances.
Facebook
Twitter