[video=youtube;7bmwAw0tvJc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7bmwAw0tvJc[/video]
I guess this is proof positive that "all that glitters is not necessarily gold," or at least that the soft metal is not the best choice for the outside casing of a smartphone. According to a report from Engadget, one of the new and unsold 18-carat gold HTC One Limited Edition phones we reported about yesterday, is a already marred by scratches. According to them, despite the protective coating surrounding the device, it is already worn and scuffed. For comparison purposes, they elaborated that their regular aluminum covered HTC One still looks as new as the day it was bought. Incidentally, they also went out of their way to make it clear they were not the ones who scratched it. (Nice CYA!)
It's really not surprising when you think about it. Gold may have a high "perceived" value, but really, other than a rare few places where it is useful in electronics, it's mostly a useless metal. It is far too soft and melts too easily to be of much use as a protective surface. I guess opulence has its price, and that goes beyond just the original dollars spent...
Check out Engadget's video on the gold HTC One above.