As one of the most widely used digital products in modern society, smart phones have become the most essential items in people’s daily life. However, the development history of mobile phones is only 44 years, and the popularity of smart phones is only in the last decade. The changes in the shell materials of mobile phones are very significant. From the beginning of plastic to the new generation of materials represented by metal glass today, what is the best material for mobile phones?
First, let’s sort out the common cell phone shell materials, such as plastic, metal, glass, ceramics, wood, leather, etc. their physical characteristics are different. The mobile phone looks and feels very different. Let’s check the advantages and disadvantages of these materials.
Plastic
Plastic material has been used since the birth of mobile phones. Plastic has strong plasticity, relatively low industrial processing difficulty, which is conducive to large-scale mass production, and the cost of plastic is also low. Therefore, plastic has become the most popular material for mobile phone manufacturers. However, there are different types of plastic, such as polycarbonate, which we are familiar with. With the upgrading of consumption and the progress of industrial technology, plastic is no longer the mainstream of smart phone shell materials. There is no cheap material but only cheap design. It is not easy to make the plastic body of mobile phone exquisite.
Metal
Metal is the most commonly used material for mobile phone shells at present. From flagship machines of more than 5000 to 6000 yuan to civilian machines with a price of 1000 yuan, metal materials are used. At present, aluminum alloy is the most used. Although it is the same aluminum alloy material, the appearance and processing technology of flagship machines and 1000 yuan machines are very different. For example, the peak of aluminum alloy technology is the bright black aluminum alloy of Apple iPhone 7 series, The aluminum alloy of the mirror is very similar to the glass material in appearance. Aluminum alloy is easy to be processed and formed in industry, and its strength is also high, but its cost is higher than that of plastic material. At present, the metal frame of the mobile phone has begun to change from aluminum alloy to stainless steel, which has higher hardness and better toughness.
Glass
Glass is most commonly used in doors and windows. In 2007, apple used glass on the screen of the first generation of iPhones, which led to the connection between mobile phones and glass. Gradually, the back case of mobile phones began to use glass. The first famous iPhone was still Apple iPhone, and the iPhone 4 was made of double-sided glass. This year is the 10th anniversary of the birth of the iPhone. According to the supply chain information, the new generation of iPhones to be released this year will all use glass, As a result, apple abandoned the metal body that had been used for five or six years. Compared with metal materials, glass will not block the mobile phone signal, so the rear case can be integrated, without the need for additional lines for the metal body. Moreover, the glass material also supports wireless charging, which is impossible for the metal body.
Ceramic / Wood / leather
In addition to the above relatively mainstream mobile phone shell materials, there are also relatively small number of materials such as ceramic / Wood / leather. These materials are still relatively small due to high cost or high difficulty in mass production. Among them, the most promising material may be ceramic. Xiaomi mix released last year adopted a full ceramic body. Ceramic has higher hardness than glass and is more resistant to scratches and abrasion, But like glass, the ductility is not strong and it is fragile when falling on the ground, and the cost is much higher than that of glass.
Considering the advantages and disadvantages of the above mobile phone materials, in the next two or three years, the mobile phone shell may still be made of metal and glass, and the middle and low-end mobile phones may mostly use the metal body, while the high-end mobile phones have the trend of moving to the glass body. In particular, under the demonstration effect after the release of Apple’s new iPhone this year, the Android camp may have more flagship phones made of glass instead of metal next year. With the progress of industry, the shell materials of mobile phones will be constantly upgraded, and the shell materials of mobile phones in the future may be more amazing.