Owners of the black HTC One S may want to keep an eye out for signs of chipping on the handset’s aluminum uni-body shell. The black color of the device is created through micro-arc-oxidation which is said to make the aluminum harder than steel. While the metal itself may be strong, the top layer along one of the sharper edges of the phone appears to be highly susceptible to chipping.
[quote]Fortunately, HTC has issued a statement about the underlying problem which should put most customers at ease.HTC is committed to delivering a high quality product and great experience for all our customers. There have been a few, isolated reports of this issue. The finish on the One S was laboratory tested as being at a hardness similar to ceramic. While that’s hard, it doesn’t mean it’s impossible to damage. Regardless, HTC takes quality very seriously and are providing all customers with an immediate fix and we are implementing some small changes to ensure customers do not experience this issue in the future.[/quote]
Those who experience any chipping issues on the black HTC One S can exchange the device for a new one at the store where they made their original purchase or send it in to HTC for repair under the standard warranty terms.
Have any of you experienced any issues with micro arc oxidation treated HTC One S? If you were planning on buying the HTC One S, will this issue push you to buy the gray handset which is not treated with micro arc oxidation?
Source: The Verge
nobody but me is reading these posts?
I was gutted to hear about this problem as I love HTC and really want them to succeed with their new ONE range. I am due an upgrade in 2 months time and was dead set on getting the ONE S in black. However reading about the chipping issue changed my mind. It would bother me and I wouldn’t be 100% satisfied with my purchase but yes, i would settle with the grey version. However hearing about the companies willingness to offer an exchange on damaged devices has put my mind at ease. I will definitely be getting the black version! Good decision by HTC customer service department 🙂
I had already decided to buy it, but this is really a serious problem for me (considering the cost of the device).
Without official news of the resolution of the problem I’ll have to choose something different.
I also read that the replacement would be for problems within 30 days of purchase. If it were true that would be a strong deterrent: after 30 days would no longer be considered a fault?
Finally, how can I be sure that i’ve purchased a “fixed” device?
I find the following link with Micro-arc Oxidation technique and they also can do black Ceramic:
http://www.plasmatechnol.com/articleShow.asp?ArticleID=404
It seems MAO has a number of applications
I bought the HTC One S just over a week ago and it’s chipping paint on the top of the phone almost identical to the one in this photo. I’m really skeptical about exchanging the phone because this is just likely to happen again on the new phone. I’m gong to try to get a refund. Not happy!!