You can throw many Android phones around without worrying, but a lot of people write them off as "plasticky".
I personally don't mind plastic if it's done well (eg. SGS2/3), but metal and glass does feel nice in the hand.
I personally don't mind plastic if it's done well (eg. SGS2/3), but metal and glass does feel nice in the hand.
If you buy a glass front Android device because it's "more durable", you're going to have a bad time. They use the same or similar glass suppliers, and it will break very easily.
I'm surprised you've seen "MANY shattered SGS2s", I've never seen one. Do you work in a phone shop?
For the record, I own an iPhone 3G and have used it for over 4 years, and have not used a case in over 2 years.