The aluminum casing of the HTC One is an amazing feat of engineering, but if the latest rumors are true, HTC may looking ot change things up later this year with a switch of Liquidmetal. According to DigiTimes, HTC will be working with chassis maker Jabon International to develop a Liquidmetal casing in the second half of the year. While the amorphous metal alloy conjures up images of T-1000 from Terminator 2, the alloy is does not present itself in liquid form at room temperature. Unlike traditional crystalline metals, Liquidmetal can be molded like plastics while double the strength of some titanium alloys. Liquidmetal is currently used by Vertu and luxury watch makers. Apple has also taken an interest in Liquidmetal as well, but it’s unclear what the company intends to use the alloy for.
If the rumor turns out to be true, HTC will be able to reduce the time it takes to manufacture metal casings while increasing durability. While HTC’s use of Liquidmetal will probably be dramatically different than how a luxury watch makers us it, we recommend taking a quick look at Omega’s video which shows how Liquidmetal is infused in the ceramic bezel of the Limited Edition Seamaster Planet Ocean. Below are a few Liquidmetal highlights pulled from WikiPedia.
- The alloy retains a scratch-free surface longer than competing materials
- Liquidmetal is nearly twice the strength of conventional crystalline titanium alloys
- It is considered as a replacement of titanium in applications ranging from medical instruments and cars to military and aerospace industry
Are you telling me that I went and bought the One only to fins out a few days later that they night be coming out with something even cooler than the One?
Im just playing around. I live the One. Everything about it!. …… Qell except for this small “Home button” problem that im sure will get fixed in an upcoming software update.. …..aOr at least i hioe it will.
Good for them though! Thia shows that maybe the company isn’t going to be going down as some had thought or still thinks. Me, I hope they stay.. … Because 2 years from now, when I can get another phone upgrade. I want another HTC phone!