Why are smartphone designs so ugly?

[gsaldivar]

I do like the design of that but it needs to be made of glass and metal.

I don't mind plastic housings. They are cheaper, lighter, and they absorb impact shock better than metal. Plastic is also transparent to radio signals which is kind of important in a cell phone.........

I'm not saying that plastic is better than metal overall, just that there are certainly advantages to each material.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Agreed on wanting physical buttons, I'm always triggering the capacitive buttons on my EVO, love the physical buttons on the HD2.

 

[kaerflog]

I totally agree with your post.
Aesthetic is a top priority when I choose my phone.
Alot of people scoff at this notion by saying its just a phone.
Its no different when you choose your clothes, car, etc...you chose them because how you think they look.

The HD2 was my dream phone .
I lust over that phone until it came to T-Mobile.
Seems like HTC design have gone way down hill after that.
They really have milked that 4.3 desig for as long as they can.

I would probably put the IP4 as the best looking phone and the HD2 right after that.
Like some of you have said.
Put a 4" on the iphone and cut down the top and bottom bezels just a bit and the its perfect phone.
We know it can be done as the Atrix is a 4" phone with very minimal bezels and thin.
Its problem is te plastic.
Use some brushed aluminum and you got yourself a sexy phone.

 

[amdhunter]

I'm not sure if I'd even want a smaller bezel. Seems like it'd be easier to accidently hit a part of the touchscreen when you're just holding it.

I'd still take my chances.

 

[MrX8503]

I like the look of the Atrix, its just slightly too thick and its plastic. Plastic does have its benefits for impact, but I still want a glass/metal phone.

One thing I also want to note in smartphone design is the screen.

Notice how the iPhone4 is darker than the 3GS when its turned off. This gives the phone an almost invisible all flushed screen when its turned off. Little things like this really enhances the aesthetics of phones. Its all about detail.

 

[Deeko]

A lot of that has to do with how reflective the glass is. It definitely makes a difference between how good the phone looks, both on and off. That was one of the things I really liked about the Samsung Focus when I had it.

 

[AstroManLuca]

Notice how the iPhone4 is darker than the 3GS when its turned off. This gives the phone an almost invisible all flushed screen when its turned off. Little things like this really enhances the aesthetics of phones. Its all about detail.

Yeah, my Epic is like that. When the screen is off, it almost perfectly blends in with the rest of the face of the phone. Also, the capacitive buttons along the bottom disappear when they're not lit up - makes for a cleaner look although it can be annoying when you're not sure where to touch. You can work around this by changing the keyboard backlight timeout though.

 

[kaerflog]

Why cant manufacturers make phones like these.
Looks so sexy.

 

[cbn]

Yup, a larger screen would make it look much better. Having such huge bezels kills it.

I like the idea of very minimal bezels also. Alas, I am sure it would help contribute to shorter battery life though.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Apple and HTC phones look good in general. (HD2/Evo, Nexus1/Desire)

Motorola is alright, too much stuff usually but they feel like quality hardware.

Samsung and LG not only look like @ss, they feel cheap.


And about the bezels, I agree that it should be as small as possible on top and sides of the screen, but the bottom shouldn't be too thin. You need a little gap for one-handed use with your thumb. And real buttons > touch buttons.

 

[tokie]

I think the BlackBerry Bold 9780 looks pretty sexy.

 

[Hail The Brain Slug]

I think this would have been a killer iPhone.

 

[zerocool84]

I think this would have been a killer iPhone.

Now that is sexy. I just think the current iPhone design is dated since we've had the same basic design for a while but I and everyone else know they won't drastically change it to something like that.

 

[kaerflog]

That looks fantastic.
Looks to be a 4" or 4.3" with no bezel and very thin.