Can the new curved screen phones handle any abuse?

strantor · Aug 25, 2018

Sorry, way off topic, but I figure most people here can relate to my hazardous (to phones) working conditions. I work in industrial settings; manufacturing facilities, oil rigs, etc. and one of the tools I use is my phone. I expect My phone to take a licking and keep on ticking. Real world examples experienced by my previous phones:

1. fall down a 2-story flight of stairs and land in a puddle of oily mud.
2. Fall onto a conveyor and go through a high temp shrink wrapper.
3. Fall in the yard and get ran over by a pickup.
The list goes on...

I've never broken a phone. I get the toughest thing there is and wrap it in an otter box defender, and that's the winning recipe. I have the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active currently, and the S4 Active before that. I love these "active" versions. My s6 is on its way out and I've been racing the clock for the s9 active to come out. I have been REALLY Looking forward to the 960fps high speed camera that the s9 has, as it will be extremely useful in my line of work. Now with the release of the Note 9 they're saying the "active" models are a thing of the past. So I can buy an S8 active with no high speed camera or I can buy Note 9 with a curved screen. That screen scares me to death. How could you ever protect it? Why would they make ALL of their phones this way? I hate it! Am I wrong? Is it not just a cracked spider web waiting to happen? Because if it is, I need to figure out a different phone to standardize on.

Matt_Jr · Aug 25, 2018

I have an s8+. I'm somewhat hard on phones. I have a spigen case and screen protector and just deal with it. I like the spigen over the otter box because it keeps a slimmer profile, will fit in my pocket, and has been dropped several times without even a hiccup. The toughest part is getting the screen protector on straight to avoid interference from the case, but with good lighting it's not really a problem. I can't speak on the s9, but the screen isn't as fragile as you might think as long as you don't use it as a hammer.. YMMV

IchabodCrayne · Aug 27, 2018

Biggest issue with many of the new curved glass phones is that the backs are glass too. These phones are easy to break if dropped on edge or corners.

dmccarty · Aug 31, 2018

My family breaks phones like Carter sells liver pills. :confused3::shocked:

You would think that people who can barely live without their phones, ie, being connected, would take better care of their phones, but they don't. They drop them constantly and they break constantly. One was even dropped in the tub. :confused3::shocked:

For years now we have been buying extended warranties on the phones. <sigh> The warranties have been worth the money that is for sure.

They have broken quite a few screens by dropping on concrete or our gravel driveway. I always put the smart phone in a protective case which I assume would protect the curved phone screens to some extent. I certainly don't need or want a curved screen but there might not be a choice when I have to buy a new phone. I can't see how a curved screen is going to be more robust to a non curved screen.

Later,
Dan

CADplans · Aug 31, 2018

We have three of the S7 EDGE phones, curved edge,,,
they were purchased because we get whatever my 35 year old daughter likes,,, ,

Within 6 months, my daughter dropped hers, no more than 3 feet,,, the screen cracked.
She has lived with it,, suffering,, waiting for the time to be up to get a new phone,,
So, she says,,,, NO MORE EDGE PHONES,, her next one will be a NOTE,, so that she gets the pen.

I will have a NOTE soon, also,, no more edge,,
We never found the EDGE function to be useful,,,