In a question of design we’ve compared the two HTC One Ss, the black variant with its Micro Arc Oxidation finish and grey and blue variant with its stainless steel body. We wouldn’t normally compare two of the same phone, however in this instance, the two are so very different, we reckon a closer look would help anyone deciding between them.
The process behind the Micro Arc Oxidation is painstaking and quite clearly a labour of love for HTC. A treatment to the metal used by the likes of NASA, it’s almost five times stronger than aerospace aluminium and three times stronger than stainless steel. To the touch, it feels solid, metallic and cold but at the same time, the ceramic finish means it offers an almost soft-touch plastic grip sensation as your fingers slide across its back.The black with red accenting looks beautifully unified and the slender chassis only adds to the va va voom reaction we got when showing off the handset.
Now onto the grey and blue HTC One S. Just as thin, despite looking undeniably fine, this phone doesn’t feel quite as rich to the touch without the ceramic finish. It’s considerably less grippy and while solid, it doesn’t offer the same reassuring metal cold touch found in the black variant.
The red accents on the black variant also look a lot better than the blue accents on the grey, with the Beats logo looking a bit out of place in grey and white. With the AMOLED screen offering non-light-emitting blacks, the darker One S also looks perfect when you drop a black background on it. What’s more, the black ties in very well with the Beats branding, leaving us to wander, is the grey version better in any way?
Possibly. There have been reports from across the web of slight chipping and edge erosion on the Black HTC One S. So that’s our opinion, when it comes to the One S, black is best. You can find the full review of the phone on here, check out our HTC One S tips and tricks here and if you’ve got any questions, just comment, Facebook or Tweet in our direction.
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