My old $200 Motorola G9 Power phone lasted almost 4 years with only very minor scratches. Obviously in that period I have dropped it a few times getting out of the car, where the phone sometimes work itself out of my pant pocket while I drive, and then it slips out when I get out of the car. But no problem on my previous phones, despite the Moto had cheap Panda glass front.
Then I bought my $800 glass back Xiaomi 13T Pro in January, and I loved the phone for the camera and good specs. But alas after only 4 months, and single drop of just 30 cm while sitting on the porch, the glass back immediately cracked! The back now looks like an ugly mess, and the high water resistance is very likely gone too.
For sure the last time I buy a phone with a glass back!!!
I wonder why glass back is so popular, and I curse the media for reviewing the Samsung Galaxy S2 as "feeling a bit cheap", because the back was synthetic, and drop tests showed it was 10 times as durable as the iPhone with its glass back.
Samsung did it right in the beginning, glass backs are a curse.
PS: I don't use condoms for my phones, if they need that for daily use, it's an obvious design flaw!!!
The glass back is supposedly there to give a premium feel to the phone. But because it's fragile, people have to use a cover, but with the cover, the premium feel of a glass back is gone anyways?
How is glass back not a design flaw?
EDIT FOR CLARIFICATION:
I am not clumsy, that's why I believe the phone should be able to last without cover. This was the first time the phone slid out of my packet, and I've NEVER dropped it out of my hands. One 30 cm slip and it's broken. Where for instance my Moto had maybe 4-6 in all over the years, and remained unscathed, apart from some tiny scratches.
The sliding out of pocket does occur maybe a couple of times per year, but it's a low drop, and the phone should absolutely be able to handle that tiny drop, as it's an item for everyday use.
I've also never had problems with scratches on my screen on any phone, which is the reason people use screen protectors I guess, which I don't either, because they are ugly, for instance they create a tiny ring around the camera, and they feel awful IMO, my phone came with it, and it took exactly 10 seconds for me to decide to remove it, because I could feel the edge of the screen protector when using the phone.
But please stop with the dropping my phone regularly comments! Just because I dropped my Moto a few times (slid out of pocket) over almost 4 years! Always from low height, which it should be able to handle a few times.
Yes I agree, and I added this to my post:
I wouldn't say it's a flaw, but an intentional decision. They expect you to buy a case aftermarket.
Is it shitty? Maybe. But people also like being able to choose a personalized case, which you can't get with a ruggedized phone. If you don't care about that, I'd look at ruggedized phones like what Cat makes: https://www.catphones.com/en-us/cat-s62-smartphone/
How about a nice aluminum frame with a plastic back? You can still use your personalized case with them but they aren't really needed if you don't want one. This was pretty much the whole industry until 2015-2016
My Moto held brilliantly without being ruggedized and without a case. And that's despite it is big 6.8" screen and relatively heavy with 220 grams.
I'd say it's absolutely a flaw, to chose a material that is way way worse and yet more expensive.
As I write in my post, with a case, there is zero advantage to the glass back, and you don't get any premium feel from it.
Makes phone feel slippery too, which make some feel like it'll pop out of my hands.
Yes, usually plastic backs have texture, that actually make them quite comfortable to hold IMO. Also the texture can be made so it looks very cool.
Also plastic backs aren't usually just cheap plastics, they are high quality synthetic materials.
Plastic backs are also both thinner and lighter. Which all in all makes it the way superior material even over aluminium.