It's no secret that Samsung loves to use plastic to build its smartphones and tablets. However, with its rivals like Apple, HTC and Sony focusing on using premium materials like aluminum and glass to build their smartphones and tablets, Samsung has been criticized for giving its smartphones cheap polycarbonate bodies. A new report now claims those days could be coming to an end, as the company has partnered with a new company to use Carbon Fiber material in its upcoming devices.
Samsung might be the world's top selling smartphone maker, but most reviews of its smartphones and tablets have criticized the company's use of cheap plastic. In today's mobile world, consumers want their devices to feel premium. Samsung does a great job in terms of features and specs of its devices, but its use of plastic has always been an issue that has been pointed out over and over again.
The company seems to have now gotten the memo that its customers want devices using materials that its rivals are making. It is believed that Samsung was caught off guard when it saw the success of the HTC One, which uses an anodized aluminum unibody case. It was rumored that Samsung would move away from plastic to aluminum, but now it appears that aluminum is out of question and plastic will be replaced with Carbon Fiber.
Samsung has recently established a joint venture for Carbon Composite Materials with SGL Group "The Carbon Company." Using Carbon Fiber would allow Samsung to build ultra light, strong, and more premium feeling devices.
Yoosung Chung, President & CEO of Samsung Petrochemical released the following statement regarding the new partnership: "Our long-term cooperation with SGL Group will ensure the exclusive supply of carbon fiber composite materials to Samsung. We selected SGL Group as partner due to the company's unique expertise along the entire value chain from carbon fibers to CFRP components. Lightweight materials have become an important factor not only in industrial applications but also the consumer end markets such as digital media. This partnership will position Samsung as a leading player in the development and application of carbon fiber-based products."
It's not clear when the first Samsung devices using Carbon Fiber will ship, but Samsung fans should at least feel better knowing that cheap plastic devices from the company culd soon become a thing of the past due to this new partnership.
