One of the Five 18-carat Gold HTC One Smartphones is Already Scuffed & Worn

[dgstorm]

[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.

 

[MissionImprobable]

Yep, exactly why gold is useless for electronic connectors that are constantly going to be re-inserted over and over. Someone really didn't think this out. Company floundering? Make a phone encased in gold.

 

[HarvesterX™]

Gold. One of the final elements created when a star goes supernova, and extremely rare in the universe compared to other elements. And we use it as a case for a smartphone. OK anyone who had the thought to create this should had known this would happen. At LEAST the gold can be recycled.

(yes, I realize that gold can be created in the above now, but it costs more to make than its worth - mercury needs to be exposed to the heat inside a nuclear reactor and the cost of renting a reactor at a lab for a day far exceeds the TINY amount of gold created..)