.:: Design Matters ::.

I dont know me personally if I am going to spend 199+ for a phone I am going to atleast either get the insurance and/or get at minimum a gel case. But liderc you make a good point about knowing your environment. I know the environment I work in and at time i put tools in the same pocket as my phone. Knowing that I make sure I put a case and screen protector on it. Though the tool may not scratch the glass, the oils and grime that may be on the tool may cause issues. Benland150 yes design matters both cosmetically and helping it last. I too heard the arguments about the galaxy nexus being plastic but you would be surprised how strong you can make plastics. The nexus though big just feels light yet you know its durable, which is similar to composite where it is lighter than metal yet just as strong. Look at the 787 which has went majority composite. The point is that protection is just as much about how the device is built as it is the material. Just because the phone is metal does not make it more durable. When you drop a phone it is about the impact of the force and if the glass can withstand it. That is why even having a cheap $5 gel case can prevent a screen from shattering because the material absorbs some of the force.
The sgs 3 design wise I could live with and I like the software integration. I just think it would have benefited more from the stock ics icons. Touchwiz just look like it took steps back to 1.6 days. Samsung too me just put more thought in it than they should. Had they added the software integration to vanilla ics look with maybe some of the touchwiz widgets from the sgs2 and the software buttons that phone would have got a better score in my opinion.