HTC One X Cases: Taking Protection into HTC's Hands
by Anand Lal Shimpi on April 20, 2012 5:37 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- HTC
- Mobile
- HTC One
With the One lineup (particuarly the One X and One S), HTC really ratched up its focus on design. The One X is easily one of the best looking Android smartphones on the market today. The problem is that the majority of consumers prefer to use cases on their phones, which ultimately hides a lot of the design work that HTC and other companies put into their devices. There's also the problem of determining what color to launch with a device. You can't have an infinite number of colors and the trend lately has been towards putting out fairly conservative colors. This further amplifies the customer use of cases, which once again hides a lot of the design work that HTC and others put into their devices.
Apple took matters into its own hands with the bumpers for the iPhone 4 - providing some protection while not obscuring too much of the design. Nokia is similarly well known for doing this with its phones for a while now. HTC is following suit and will be shipping its own minimalist cases for the One X.
These things don't offer any protection for the screen, but they snap on the back of the One X while still allowing some of the design to shine through. The cases will be available a variety of colors and designs, but we got some hands on time with an orange and blue case. No word on pricing or availability.
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Iketh - Friday, April 20, 2012 - link
I don't put a case on my phone no matter how expensive it is... it's getting replaced in less than 2 years anyhowDeath666Angel - Saturday, April 21, 2012 - link
And you just throw the old one away? Some people like to pass them on to their friends or sell them, both of which are helped if the phone isn't completely danged and scratched. :-)kingpotnoodle - Saturday, April 21, 2012 - link
I gotta agree with Iketh, I don't use any cases either. You buy a nice slim pocketable phone, why would you want to bulk it up with a piece of plastic/leather and make it like something from 10yrs ago?! I don't even use screen protector films.Thing is, my phones after 18months use without a case look cleaner and tidier than most people's do WITH a case, all I do is look after it, keep it in a pocket on it's own without coins and keys etc. It's really quite simple to keep your phone looking nice if you actually bother to try. My current Sensation looks almost new, not a scratch in sight, had it 11 months.
Although many people like to sell or give away I've sent my last 2 to recyclers here in the UK and got more ££ than I would have profited from an eBay sale (after fees/postage). Because I look after the phone I get full recycle value as quoted. Technology moves so fast most people I know already have a phone they want more than my old one by the time my 18month contract is over!
3DoubleD - Saturday, April 21, 2012 - link
I agree. Putting a case on a high end phone like this is a real crime. How hard is it to just take care of your phone? I've never used a case and all my phones look like the day I bought them. Same goes with tablets. Looked around for carrying cases for my Prime, but they all doubled the weight and thickness. Instead I went to the dollar store and bought a 10" laptop case for travelling. Now I can appreciate the great design work (so light and thin, it's great!).kkwst2 - Saturday, April 21, 2012 - link
I actually tend to not use a case for the first 6 months or so. That's when the newness wears off and I find myself being much more casual with the phone.Then I get a thin case like the Seidio surface. It has certainly saved my phone from drops, usually dropping it on the pavement when I make the brilliant decision not to pocket my phone before fumbling with my keys and also holding, say, an umbrella in the rain.
ishmoo21 - Friday, April 20, 2012 - link
those cases kinda look stupid on the phone. I hope the other designs are better than thatmgl888 - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link
What are you talking about! Who wouldn't want sexy bikini cases with the phone's back showing?/sarcasm
RaistlinZ - Friday, April 20, 2012 - link
I don't get it. Can't they just make a simple clear plastic case so the entire design work can show through?Impulses - Friday, April 20, 2012 - link
Transparent plastic or even TPU ends up looking like ass within 6-12 months... If it's hard plastic it'll just show a massive amount of scratches (worse than the first iPhone's / iPod touch mirror finish), and if it's soft glossy TPU it's a magnet for skin oil and invariably ends up developing an amber look within a few months.Chloiber - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link
A transparent case from HTC for the One X already exists.