Thinking Laterally

There is hardly an object that is likely to be picked up and used more than a smartphone in the course of a day – whether it is to make phone calls, chat, listen to music or surf the Internet. This handy, high-performance device has conquered the world in a flash. It is no surprise that it’s packed with technology, yet it largely consists of plastic. This is mostly due to its housing. In today’s popular models, the housing accounts for more than half of the plastic in the phone. The advantage is that plastics feel warm and pleasant to the touch. The pressure distribution for plastic housings is also better than that of metal equivalents. Finally, the cost of plastic makes it a popular option among manufacturers.

Foldable Glass Not Ready for Series Production

At least in the short term, plastic’s share of smartphones is likely to grow, thanks to the upcoming introduction of foldable smartphones, which can be expanded to tablet size in the blink of an eye. Until now, the displays on smartphones have been made of a special glass. But for now, manufacturers of foldout phones have to turn to alternative solutions for the screens. The suppliers of glass displays have in fact announced that they will have the kind of stable glass required for foldable smartphones available soon. But it will be a while before it is ready for series production. Its makers will likely want to produce glass displays for foldables once the devices are established in the market. At three-thousandths of an inch, the thickness of this pliable glass would be no more than that of a hair.