Database Users

Condition of Black One, scratch, chip, crack, etc

I would like to start a topic dedicated to black HTC One, since there is still not many people got the black One, and hope this topic could help others see how durable/not durable the casing is, especially over time.
We all know that both silver and black One have the same aluminum casing, anodized, difference is the colour. So silver version naturally hides the scratches but black version will show clearly the scratches.
Hope all the black One owner would come and share the condition of their phone, if it is still no scratch at all, or already developed some annoying marks.
I will start from me, I had the black One for 1.5 days, still naked no case, there is one small scratch at the bottom speaker area, very thin line so must be due to sand; top edge near headphone jack has little scratch or chip, not sure what it is, but silver colour so noticeable; the top plastic strap at the back above camera had developed a crack since got the phone.
All of them are very small so not able to show on picture, will definitely post picture if things get worse.
I will try to report back often, but hope this post won't grow too big so it would mean actually the black One is holding up pretty well.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
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[Update: 24/04/2013, 5 days after I had the phone, I always baby the phone.]
I got two tiny scratches, picture included, see post 12.

Sadly, EXACTLY why I didnt get black. I saw MANY videos on Youtube and alot of them had scratches around that shiny bezel and along the edges. They weren't even highlighting the scratches, I just noticed them. Man, it looks beautiful, but unfortunately shows many of the scratches that the silver doesn't. I remember the iPhone 5 went through the same thing.
Really sucks that people cant show off the beautiful phone without a case. I have a thin leather case on mine, and REALLY wish I could go "naked" but know better. (been there, done that!). At least I love the looks on the leather.

Oh, that's really sad and worrying, I have seen colleague's black iPhone 5 which only had two tiny marks at the edge, so I thought One would be similar. I accept the danger of having the black, but really want to see in a normal careful usage, will it be scratched badly still?
Tomorrow Monday is a good day, I can put my phone in the bad world to see how it survives or not... Until tomorrow!
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Just a caveat to my prev. post. ALL aluminum (encased) phones, ESPECIALLY if they are anodized to a color, will have the same issues.

woodekx said:
Just a caveat to my prev. post. ALL aluminum (encased) phones, ESPECIALLY if they are anodized to a color, will have the same issues.
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Yes I totally agree with you, however I want to see how the black One stands daily usage and if it gets scratches very easily.
I have the black One, at least in the next few days I will report back.
Just hope this could help other people make sensible decision on what colour to choose.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

h.han said:
Yes I totally agree with you, however I want to see how the black One stands daily usage and if it gets scratches very easily.
I have the black One, at least in the next few days I will report back.
Just hope this could help other people make sensible decision on what colour to choose.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
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I really don't think the real problem is as much the anodizing, is as it is with the routed beveled edges. As beautiful as they are, those sharp edges seem to be very venerable to chips/ dings. Iphone 5s had the same issues. Hey, I love em! The really give the phone a "rich" look.

I can't even get a black one. That's what I'm waiting on. Only available in silver here.
Sent from my EVO using xda app-developers app

I think the shiny part on the edges aren't anodized and is just plain paint. I haven't seen any anodized metal that's shiny my whole life lol! It should be matte texture so that maybe the reason why it's chipping. Unlike the silver though the edges are exposed plain aluminum it doesn't have any paint nor anodized layer so it won't chip.
I also wanted the black HTC One and said to myself I'll just apply a transparent nail polish on the edges but I got fed up waiting so got the silver instead and waiting for it to arrive till now.
Good luck guys! For me given the chance right now if I could choose I would still select the black over the silver.
All I could suggest is...
1. You could coat the edges with transparent films to avoid the scratches or
2. You could scrape the black color on the edges and give it a shiny silver bezel instead like the silver one. That would make it look more premium if you ask me...
Imagine it... Pure black matte body with shiny silver edges

Riyal said:
I think the shiny part on the edges aren't anodized and is just plain paint. I haven't seen any anodized metal that's shiny my whole life lol! It should be matte texture so that maybe the reason why it's chipping. Unlike the silver though the edges are exposed plain aluminum it doesn't have any paint nor anodized layer so it won't chip.
I also wanted the black HTC One and said to myself I'll just apply a transparent nail polish on the edges but I got fed up waiting so got the silver instead and waiting for it to arrive till now.
Good luck guys! For me given the chance right now if I could choose I would still select the black over the silver.
All I could suggest is...
1. You could coat the edges with transparent films to avoid the scratches or
2. You could scrape the black color on the edges and give it a shiny silver bezel instead like the silver one. That would make it look more premium if you ask me...
Imagine it... Pure black matte body with shiny silver edges
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I am not so sure about black phone with shiny silver bezel but won't mind see one in real life (not mine though)
Just update on the condition of my black One, it's been more than 3 days since I got it, naked all the time, no new scratches or chip apart from two which appeared on day 1.
Yes I did baby my phone, not like avoid using it, just not putting other stuff in the same pocket, trying not to drop it, not touching the metal button near my pocket when putting phone in, laying it on a clean surface, etc. All commonsense.
But yes, the shiny bezel may give up first another reason being the edge of the bezel is so sharp, touching it over time may just remove the colour of the coating and show a silver line. But so far it's holding up well.
Comparing to the back, the up and bottom speaker pieces seem more easily scratched, the surface of them seem more rough than the back aluminum which means sand or other hard material will cause more obvious damage to them.
Hope other people who had the black One longer than I did can share what the condition of their phones are at.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Mmmm but where are the pics??

vegetaleb said:
Mmmm but where are the pics??
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I only have two very tiny scratches they are too small to be captured on camera, apart from those two, my phone is in new condition.
Hence no picture sorry.
I would like this thread to gather conditions of as many black One as possible to give a real life example of what to expect if anyone wants to get a black One. Or if you don't have the black One, anticipation of what could get scratched/chipped easily is also welcome.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Ok, on the way home on the train, just saw a light mark dot on the edge of top frame above the front camera. Did not do anything special to my phone, was browsing web...
Will update a picture later when a reach a camera.
It's very small but big enough to be noticed.
[UPDATE] picture uploaded
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app

Hi again guys! I am gathering info with regards to the chipping info of these phones... I just wanna ask... Where does the scratches/chipping happen?
Is it on the unibody aluminum part of the phone or within the speaker grills? I'm not sure yet but I'm thinking maybe the speaker grills aren't anodized.

Riyal said:
Hi again guys! I am gathering info with regards to the chipping info of these phones... I just wanna ask... Where does the scratches/chipping happen?
Is it on the unibody aluminum part of the phone or within the speaker grills? I'm not sure yet but I'm thinking maybe the speaker grills aren't anodized.
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I am not sure my ones are chippings or just simple scratches, more likely scratches. In my mind, chippings are marks that appeared without phone being hit by a harder object.
I would imagine the speaker parts are easier to get scrached than the back, but I tried using my keys to scratch them (mid force), it only left some trace which were wiped away, so it seems they are quite tough as well.
The only noticable scratches are on the top shiny edge above the front camera, no idea why it happened. They are very small but if you look carefully, they are there.

im thinking to get a black one, then pair it with a dual layer case like the incipio dualpro.
silicone inside, pvc hardcase layer outside

shiningarmor said:
im thinking to get a black one, then pair it with a dual layer case like the incipio dualpro.
silicone inside, pvc hardcase layer outside
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Yes, I actually ordered a disztronic black case shipping from US (I am in UK), although I really prefer keeping the phone naked.
But yes, all aluminum phones will get scratched just a matter of time, so having a case is necessary to standby.
So far I am quite happy about the condition of my black One, although I only had it for 5 days, but at least it seems it won't chip automatically like the HTC One S (black) did. Of course, they have different material.

[Q] Is white or black more prone to scratch

I am waiting for the Note 4 to come out in my country so I haven't seen them in real life. Currently I am thinking of going for the white or the black one. Since the metal frame is coloured as the rest of the phone, I was wandering if the black one is more prone to scratches or maybe more that the scratches being more visible on the black one? I am also wandering if the back on the black and white differ when holding the phone, one being more slippery than the other?

The black one is non-slip and soft coated, while the white one is hard and slippery.

The white certainly isnt hard and slippery at all, thats nonsense.
Unless your country makes a different backing than the units released in my country. I noticed no notable difference between black and white backcovers myself. Except the colour, obviously.

of course not..the material they are made of is same ..only colour is different.
scratches depend on your usability

I have both and I think that the black one is better build then the white. More solid, well builded and not slippery at all.

The back of the white one is not slippery at all.
Sent from my SM-N910U using Tapatalk

A lot of reviews do mention that the black has more grip to it, whether it is all in the mind or not I don't know!
Interestingly I had a Galaxy Tab Pro in white and when I exchanged it for a black one I immediately thought how much better it felt on the back.
Maybe there is a slight difference in the plastics but it's only a theory, I can only go by my experience too.

Kinda off topic here but I urge everyone to buy it in Black. The contrast of the color against the metal sides is just gorgeous. Not quite as apparent on the white model.
Both have a great grip and I wouldn't imagine dropping it easily. That being said my previous device was an M8 so............

I find the metal sides more apparent on the white =p

The white is worse.
Sent from the TermiNOTEr 4!

Eh, but it's like being the second man on the moon if there's a difference at all, the difference isn't big at all in terms of grip etc. Personally I didn't notice anything. But it clearly isn't slippery at all.

I've got a white one in a black case. The contrast between the black and white is nice. Before putting it in a case, I didn't notice it being slippery. But then this thing is so big, I was being very careful with it.
I was originally planning on getting black, but the Best Buy 200 dollar trade in expired on 11/1, and all they had in stock was white, so I ended up with white. I suppose that I could bring it back and trade it for black when black comes in, but I am getting used to the white one.

They're both beautiful devices. As I mentioned before the black does look a tad bit better though in my opinion. Plus I can imagine the white one getting dirty pretty quickly.

KarimSalloum said:
They're both beautiful devices. As I mentioned before the black does look a tad bit better though in my opinion. Plus I can imagine the white one getting dirty pretty quickly.
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Surprisingly enough, the white one doesn't get dirty :good:

It is very interesting that a few people here find the white one more slippery than the black for some reason. I am looking forward checking this out by myself but I hear that the Note 4 will be out here in Iceland at the end of the week.
Regarding the scratches I would have thought that they might be more apparent on the black metal frame than the white one but that might not be the case either. I hear that the black one tend to surprise people for being more appealing in person because of the metal frame than expected. I am leaning a little towards the black one now.

elvar72 said:
It is very interesting that a few people here find the white one more slippery than the black for some reason. I am looking forward checking this out by myself but I hear that the Note 4 will be out here in Iceland at the end of the week.
Regarding the scratches I would have thought that they might be more apparent on the black metal frame than the white one but that might not be the case either. I hear that the black one tend to surprise people for being more appealing in person because of the metal frame than expected. I am leaning a little towards the black one now.
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both are gorgeous in person especially when naked, and it really just boils down to your own preference. the 2 colors are available from my carrier and white was just too beautiful in or outside a case. the black looks nice and is the best looking black Sammy phone i've seen, however, inside a case, it looked to me as similar to all other black, older phones.
P.s. the back of the white is not slippery at all, but despite having the same material as the black, i think this thread has influenced my brain to think the black cover is softer than the white's

I think they may have applied some sort of anti-dirt coating on the back cover of the white variant, which makes it more rigid than the black one.
iR¡[email protected]!* from i9505 via Tapatalk 4

The white Note 4 is made from the tusks of endangered Rinos. ?

elvar72 said:
It is very interesting that a few people here find the white one more slippery than the black for some reason. I am looking forward checking this out by myself but I hear that the Note 4 will be out here in Iceland at the end of the week.
Regarding the scratches I would have thought that they might be more apparent on the black metal frame than the white one but that might not be the case either. I hear that the black one tend to surprise people for being more appealing in person because of the metal frame than expected. I am leaning a little towards the black one now.
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.
Isn't everything in Iceland more slippery?! LOL
.

LOL
I tried both phones and they have same materials applied on the back cover!
EXCEPT the white note 4 is more stunning! and by the way, the white is not prone to dirts!
im so impressed!

Is the graphite color more easy to scratch? (versus other color)

I dont know if my question is ask correctly (i'm french), but will it be easier to scratch the graphite color versur the frost/silver. Do we know what's the aluminium quality?

I don't know if its any easier to scratch then others but you will notice it right away since the scratch will probably take of some of the coating showing the base metal . Kinda like a black car the scratches stick out like sore thumbs cause they look white

thank you, I'll switch to frost right now because I don't trust the metal quality of Huawei.

If it's anything like the HTC M7 (or was it 8) that came in black..then yes, it will be ugly when scratched because the black is just a paint or coating. At least with the white, you wont be able to really differentiate the color difference between white and raw aluminum.

Can anyone shed more light on this? I love how the graphite one looks, but maybe the silver one will be more durable

The graphite version chips and scratches pretty easy. So much so i had to go with a skin to cover them and keep it from getting more. If i had a choice i would go with the alu.

I don't know, the silver has " chamfered edges" which look just like the ones on the Note 4 , I had the note 4 and the sides/edges scratched like crazy , almost by just looking at them :/ maybe the silver nexus 6p has the same issue?

S7->S7E->S8 ---> Back to S7E user. Best film for the BACK of the phone?

Okay, I could not get used to the lack of home button and the dumbass fingerprint sensor location on my S8, so sold it and got a brand new S7 Edge Black Pearl Edition (<3)
I have a specific set of needs for a film to cover the BACK side of the phone, since for the front I'm going to be using the Whitestone Dome Glass (which I loved on my S8)
I abhor cases, and want to flaunt the beauty of the curves and color of my Black Pearl S7E. Hence I will go caseless, but with the protective films / tempered glass combo.
Basically, I want a THICK film that is clear and transparent. I've just about made up my mind (~90%) to purchase Skinomi full body protection, but just want to find out if there's something better and thicker out there?

Colors. So many colors.

What colors of Pixel 4 did you chose and why?
I went for black, as I hate warm colors like orange (the mint prototype was amazing1), and I would like to hide that horrible iPhonish camera. BUT I discovered that black is glossy and not matte...

For the first time in my life, I chose a White phone. Something about the black edges but the matte white back really stood out to me. Additionally, as you discovered, the black's glass is a glossy finish. Looks nice, but would show scratches and smudges when dust and whatnot inevitably gets in there. As for the Orange, I think it looks unique, kind of like what OnePlus did with the 6T McLaren Edition, but it wasn't for me. Just got my phone today and I love the way it looks.

gpvecchi said:
What colors of Pixel 4 did you chose and why?
I went for black, as I hate warm colors like orange (the mint prototype was amazing1), and I would like to hide that horrible iPhonish camera. BUT I discovered that black is glossy and not matte...
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Click to collapse
I hard a hard time choosing between the black or white one. I ultimately chose the black one because I figured although the black is glossy, it's easier to get a matte skin and slap it on there. I'm the type to always be changing how my phone looks so I feel like one day I might be feeling a glossy phone, at which point had I gotten the matte white one it would be hard to find a glossy/glass like skin. I REALLY like the matte white contrast with the black frame but since I got the black one I can just get a matte white dbrand skin and this way it matches the white power button too. Not too much of a fan of the orange power button. In your case you could also slap on a matte black skin.

I went black because is one of my favourite colours.
But also because is symmetrical
I prefer glossy glass because of the grip. But I use a case so doesn't matter.
Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Got a clearly white one, I've always been an "all black" user but I love the contrast and the effect it makes on P4. Also that matte finish looks good.
Like it was said, a matte black skin could solve the fact that the black version is glossy. I got a dbrand for my Pixel 1 two years ago, never had a problem

I've always had black phones until I got the almost pink last time around. This time I got the orange one simply because when I pull the phone out of my pocket I want everyone to know I have the new Pixel 4 and crowd around me. Excuse me folks, ladies first.

Went for the orange one. I've had black phones the whole time and just wanted something different.

I preordered a matte black skin. It should look like a matte black phone, back it's quite flat...

Black, went with full body skin from clearcoat (mobile outfitters) available worldwide.
Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Really wanted the orange as it was the same shade force 10 use on their tents !!! My favourite brands of tent !!!
However ended up with the black due to the orange not being available in 128gb in the UK..
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