When we looked at the HTC One S last month, it struck me that the company had managed to create an incredibly sturdy and beautiful device in an impossibly thin package. This is owed to the Micro Arc Oxidation technique used to harden the surface of the casing, which a company representative likens to “lightning striking the phone.”
As described by HTC, the ultra-matte black model has an “ultra-matte black Ceramic Metal surface that is the result of a microarc oxidation (MAO) process originally developed for use in satellites. It transforms the surface of the aluminum unibody into a ceramic, super-dense crystalline structure that is four times harder than anodized aluminum, enabling the HTC One S to look great over time.”
A chemical process creates a ceramic material out of aircraft-grade aluminum, creating a surface that is three times stronger than stainless steel. The tagline “thin but strong” will be used over and over in the coming weeks as HTC is emphasizing the fact that you won’t need a case with the One S; it repels scratches and marks by being more resistant to the elements. Check out the video of the procedure (which looks pretty freaking cool) after the break.
Source: Android Police
