What are the differences between metal USB flash drives and plastic USB flash drives?
Many buyers in the choice of USB flash drive, do not know what is the difference between USB flash drive shell material?USB flash drive is to choose the metal material or plastic material, the actual use of the metal USB flash drive and plastic USB flash drive are very popular, in the end, what is the difference, let’s compare it from a number of aspects:
1. Which material USB flash drive lasts longer?
- Metal USB flash drive: metal shell is very hard, from a high place to fall down will not be damaged, a large number of USB flash drives packaged together, do not have to worry about extrusion, in addition to the metal material is not afraid of moisture, can be placed in a wet environment for a long time.
- Plastic USB flash drive: plastic USB flash drive shell is lighter, the hardness is not as good as the metal material, after a long time of use will be deformed, if there is acidic or alkaline liquid corrosion will also be damaged, if there is an external object impact, the plastic shell is more fragile, easier to damage.
2. Appearance and texture
- Metal USB flash drive: metal USB flash drive appearance has a texture, appear more high-end, metal can also do glossy, frosted, oil-sprayed and other processes, a stronger sense of luster, suitable for business occasions as a gift, more prominent brand image. At present, many big brands of USB flash drives are metal materials, metal materials and divided into aluminium alloy USB flash drive, stainless steel USB flash drive, zinc alloy USB flash drive.
- Plastic USB flash drive: plastic USB flash drive in the appearance of many changes in the design, can be designed in a variety of shapes, can be customized according to different needs of different colours, shapes and patterns, colourful and vibrant, it is a variety of design also provides users with more choices.
Summary: metal USB flash drive more texture, plastic USB flash drive appearance is more beautiful!
| Styles | Crafts | Feel | Suitability | |
| Metal usb sticks | Aluminium, Zinc Alloy | Smooth, frosted, oiled | Good texture weight | Business Gifts |
| Plastic usb sticks | ABS，Drip | Drip, oiled, frosted | lightweight | Retail |
3、Which kind of flash drive is more convenient to carry?
- Metal USB flash drive: the weight of the metal USB flash drive is relatively large, the individual weight may be more than twice as much as the plastic USB flash drive, the number of more times, the overall weight is heavier, long-distance transport freight is very high. For personal use, the weight is negligible.
- Plastic USB flash drives: Plastic USB flash drives usually have better portability due to their lightweight material. Users can easily put into the pocket, bag or keychain to carry, a large number of transport costs are also very low, large purchases choose plastic USB flash drive is better.
4、 product cost and price
- Metal USB flash drive: metal moulding costs are relatively high, the shell unit cost is relatively high, the general cost of metal shell USB flash drive moulding is about $400-1000$ between the price is mainly the difficulty of moulding, the more complex the shape of the higher the price, the cost of a single metal USB flash drive shell price is about $ 1 or so.
- Plastic USB flash drive: plastic moulding costs than metal high point, but the shell unit cost is much lower, plastic USB flash drive price with the number of great relationship, the more the number of shells the cheaper, has been moulded plastic USB flash drive style, a single shell cost is about $ 0.1 -0.5 between the cost of the plastic USB flash drive is relatively low, in the price of more advantageous, if the budget is limited to the customer, the plastic USB flash drive is a Good choice.
| Mold Fee | Shell Price | Mold Time | |
| Metal usb sticks | $400-1000$ | >$ 1 | 15 days |
| Plastic usb sticks | $500-1200$ | $ 0.1 -0.5 | 20 days |
5, read and write speed
USB flash drive read and write speed is determined by the internal memory chip and the main control chip, and the shell material does not have any relationship, in the choice of USB flash drive, do not have to consider the material on the read and write speed, the impact of transmission speed.
In summary：
Metal USB flash drives and plastic USB flash drives have their own advantages and disadvantages, there is no obvious difference. Users can choose the right USB flash drive material according to their actual needs and budget. If you need a USB flash drive with strong durability and high-end appearance, then a metal USB flash drive may be a better choice; if you pay more importance to portability and cost-effectiveness, then a plastic USB flash drive is also an option worth considering.