Phone Cases and Heat (Metal?)

[bradly1101]

We all know that the enemy of electronics is heat, yet we put our phones in protective, insulating TPU cases (I have one with the "Mil-Spec." drop rating).

But I saw these, and wondered how much better they'd be at heat dissipation. They are all-aluminum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHz52zNGl2M

https://www.caseopolis.com/collections/samsung-galaxy-s7

 

[dainthomas]

Seems like aluminum would suck at shock absorption versus softer silicon or TPU. Probably just have to decide what's your higher priority.

 

[bradly1101]

Seems like aluminum would suck at shock absorption versus softer silicon or TPU. Probably just have to decide what's your higher priority.

The video says, "With protective padding." Around the inside edge of the bumper I believe there's padding - hopefully enough.

 

[aigomorla]

why would i want to spend money on a case to make a galaxy case to look like a iphone with those antenna bands on the rear?

 

[bradly1101]

why would i want to spend money on a case to make a galaxy case to look like a iphone with those antenna bands on the rear?

To me it's more about the function than the form.

 

[lxskllr]

I've had my GS5 >2 years, and it's never not been wrapped in squishy rubber and plastic. Works fine, and battery life's still good. Plastic is the premium phone material. Anything else is sub par.

 

[bradly1101]

I've had my GS5 >2 years, and it's never not been wrapped in squishy rubber and plastic. Works fine, and battery life's still good. Plastic is the premium phone material. Anything else is sub par.

The battery in my S3 started going three years into ownership. I couldn't find new replacement batteries, and got ripped off on an ebay battery. Fortunately I got a $300 credit because I had to turn it in (my network changed from CDMA to GSM). I'm hoping the larger S7 battery will hold up longer.

To be fair, the only times my phone heats up is if I tap a lot of LTE data at once (and I think I've only done that a couple of times), or during Fast-Charging (which I disabled immediately and shouldn't be the default IMO), or I've heard during wireless charging.

 

[bradly1101]

why would i want to spend money on a case to make a galaxy case to look like a iphone with those antenna bands on the rear?

Looking at the back, I don't think anyone would mistake this for an iphone. The camera is in the wrong place, and there is no big, round logo cutout.

 

[bradly1101]

I went ahead and picked one up. It's a pretty cheap looking thing, and definitely less protective than my TPU case, but it also doesn't insulate as much. "Aluminum construction" doesn't mean "all aluminum construction;" the back is polycarbonate with a mirror finish (finger print magnet) and much thinner than my TPU case. I can feel more heat off the back of my phone while on AC or LTE which is a good thing (I keep it on the 2.4GHZ wireless band now and I can't really see the difference). It also cheapens the look of my phone which is a good thing since on occasion I have to pull it out in not the best neighborhoods.

 

[fredmill]

Any electronic device can overheat, including smartphones and other cell phones. These devices utilize battery packs and electrical chargers, and there’s always a risk that all that energy can heat up your phone to the point where it’s too hot to touch. Protective cases are one of the best investments that you can make for a cell phone. They help keep your phone well protected and can certainly help save the phone from an accidental fall or accidental damage. While I do recommend investing in a good case for your smartphone you may want to try using your phone outside of the case for a little while to see if the phone continues to overheat or if it helps prevents the phone from getting hot.