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I've heard they the screen can "go out" pretty quickly compared to other phones if you drop your phone a lot. I heard this from a guy who was quite good with tech stuff and it was when he was working. I drop my phones a lot and I always need Otter Box cases for the extra protection.
Is the SGS 5 any better about this? What about the Note 3?
I've heard LG devices are more sensitive with a cheaper build quality myself. It can vary from model to model within the same manufacturer. Anyone who expects to drop their phone should use a case.
Keep in mind that various touch-screen phones are sensitive different ways about being dropped on edge, dropped flat on their screen, or having the screen broken or scratched.
The Samsung Galaxy 4 (and I'm pretty sure the 5) has Gorilla Glass 3, for a cover and is incredibly tough. I found a bunch of youtube videos of people trying to scratch the screen with keys, drill bits, etc. and even driving their car over it, no problem.
But drop it so it lands on a corner? Outch. So for this type of phone, get drop protection. Something with rubber around the edges.
I'm of the opinion that Samsung's phones are flimsy and are designed to maximize Samsung's profit margin, not the customer's experience. They are popular in spite of their average-at-best design and build quality, not because they're great phones.
HTC One is a lot less fragile. It's just a nicer piece of hardware overall. (Yes, it runs Android OS like the Samsung line, and can download and run all the same apps.)
Samsung uses a plastic frame to fit all the pieces together. This kind of construction relies on the glass itself for much of the phone's structural rigidity. Leave one in your back pocket and sit down, and you can guess what might happen. *Crack*
The HTC One relies on an aluminum shell for it's strength and rigidity. It's stronger and a lot more forgiving. You still wouldn't want it to land on the corner though.
Never tried, but I spent on thousands times more on protective gear (cases, screen stickers etc) than on my Samsung Galaxies themselves. I got the devices for $0.01 each with the plan then out went about $60 worth for the shiny armor
I'm of the opinion that Samsung's phones are flimsy ...
Different manufacturers make different models out of different materials. Generalizing one manufacturer is more rugged than another is impossible.
I've had a Samsung G4 for about a year and it feels quite firm. It's backshell is NOT made of plastic, but carbon fiber. A huge difference. It is much lighter than my previous aluminum shelled phone, and still feels as rigid. Also, it's screen is Gorilla Glass 3. Very VERY tough.
Search Youtube for "Galaxy S4 Gorilla Glass 3" and you can see it surviving being driven over by cars and attempted scratching by metal keys.
Having got my S4 Active today, it's a great phone but I'm not taking it away from home until I get my case in the mail. If you impact glass from the wrong angle, like having it drop on the concrete on it's edge, it's certainly more apt to break. I love the easy to access removable battery, sd card slot, bright HD screen, even the bloatware I feared so much turned out to be pleasantly alright.
I'd never use any brand of smartphone without a case that provides good shock protection. I don't care of the phone is a bit thicker.. my wallet is 3-4x thicker. If people drop an uncased smartphone with a glass screen that goes to the edge of the phone, they should not be surprised if it breaks. Larger the phone, higher the chances of breakage. Today's phones are now approaching and exceeding 5 inch screen size, so it's only wise to have them cased unless you have breakage insurance.
In any case it's important to make sure your glass screen is properly secured to the bezel and the rest of the unit.. glass is subject to breakage from uneven pressure so when you have the screen pop up in one corner because the internals are putting pressure on it, as was the case with first generation nexus 7 tablets, they were far more likely to have the screen/glass crack on them from normal usage. These were arguably manufacturing defects that were not really owned up too the way they should have been. I have noticed a trend of LG devices being more fragile than other manufacturers. This includes google 'nexus' units made by LG. If you use a low dollar case however you greatly increase your odds.
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