Do Larger Screens Break Easier?

When cell phone owners consider upgrading, they usually want the biggest and best on the market which now includes phones with larger screens. However, having the largest screen may not always be a selling point. The proof can be seen with popular phones such as the iPhones, Galaxy, HTC, LG, G3, and others. Having a larger screen can be nice for a variety of reasons but is it worth having if it makes your phone less durable? Studies have found that phones with larger screens are more susceptible to breakage and damage if dropped. One of the particular studies compared the Galaxy S4 and the iPhone 5. Each of the phones suffered a four foot drop on a concrete floor to test how the screens held up. The iPhone suffered several small scratches and the Galaxy was completely cracked. Studies find that many of the problems that come with the larger screen sizes is handling. With a larger screen the phone becomes more difficult to grip meaning it is more likely to be dropped. Clearly, the more a phone is dropped the more likely it is to suffer screen damage. It has been suggested that one out of eight owners of the Galaxy S4 phone will break it within 6 months and that on average for smartphones, one in three will break within the first year. Having a larger screen may be nice, but if you’re having to quickly replace the phone, does the convenience outweigh the problems? Companies are working to improve the screens on the upcoming models but right now a larger screen means a more breakable phone. The main problems with the larger screens is that with a larger glass surface there is simply more to damage. While the likelihood for drop damage is increased because the ease of handling is decreased, screen damage becomes more prominent because of the surface ratio on the phone. A larger screen means that on impact the screen is more likely to take the brunt of the force. This also means that while the phone is in pockets or bags that it is more likely to sustain damage because the screen is much more likely to be bumped, squished, or otherwise imposed upon. The sad truth is that the wider the screen, the weaker it becomes. In the end, a larger screen can be nice but it might be best to wait until newer versions are improved before trading in your old phone.