Based on materials from blog.htc.com
The flagships from HTC have consistently formed a whole direction in the design of mobile devices, which developed from HTC One M7 to M9. And the biggest leap, prepared by years of striving for excellence in design and production, the company is making this year in its HTC 10. The design team HTC will tell you what makes the 'top ten' stand out from other devices , as well as about what tasks had to be solved while creating this apparatus.
From left to right: Lawrence Fong, Katherine Kim, Ten Arunanondchai, Ben Avery, Hannes Harms, Mathias Hintermann
New silhouette
The materials define the experience of people about the product, and in this regard HTC 10 literally shines. Housed in a 'military-grade' zirconia-brushed aluminum case, it is designed to deliver a premium feel and the new flagship is a true metal kingdom.
“We wanted to make the top 10 instantly recognizable from a distance within the premises,” says Hannes Harms, chief industrial designer. “To achieve this, we made it a distinctive feature of the 3.3mm bevel on the outer edge, which gave the device a new, elegant shape.”
It took persistence to work on this bevel, and it took more than one try to get the desired result. But the development of the appearance of the apparatus was only the first step – further improvements had to be made in the production process. The bevel is created in one precise motion and it is difficult to control tolerances on such a large surface, which is why the design team HTC worked more closely than ever with the company's engineers.
“If the torch is too fast or too slow,” says Lawrence Fong, program manager, “it creates unacceptable tolerances in metal.” The finished bevel is then polished to create a matte surface that accepts light without being conspicuous as with a mirror polish.
Design HTC 10 is more than a visual difference. The bevel accentuates the familiar curvature of the back – a legacy from earlier models HTC, making the device more comfortable in the hand. And this comfortable feeling is carried over to the front of the device. The glass is rounded at the edges, which creates a smooth transition to metal, and when you call, a smooth surface contacts the user's face.
“When the first prototypes of the shape of the device appeared, everyone felt how pleasant it felt in the hand,” says Mathias Hintermann, industrial designer.
Two parts – no more
One of the goals for the new flagship was to improve build quality and design. To achieve this, the design team drastically reduced the number of its component parts. There were only two of them – metal and glass. No separate plastic parts. Less detail means fewer tolerances, which means a more premium feel. The result is a beautiful, meticulously fitted surface.
The antenna inserts, which are integrated into a one-piece metal housing, have received new pigment formulas developed by color experts HTC and chemists. “We aimed to hide the transition from metal to composite materials as much as possible,” says Ten Arun, CMF (Color, Material and Finish) manager.
To emphasize the solidity of the silhouette, the team also sought to create a perfectly symmetrical apparatus. All external features that are most significant for buyers are oriented along the central axis. So, the headphone jack is in the center of the top edge, and the USB-C port is in the center of the bottom. This will also make it easier for users to find them intuitively.
The theme of the beveled edge is continued in the smaller details of the 'tens'. The buttons, camera bezel, speaker openings and the USB-C port also have a bevel that echoes the outline of the entire device.
The power button is also aluminum, its texture is deliberately made excellent, this allows you to instantly feel it even with a light touch. And the fact that it feels different from the rest of the device is especially important. Apart from the screen, the power button is still the most important 'point of contact' with devices HTC, this is the beginning and end of any interaction with the device. At least 50 industrial designs were made before the button reached perfection in terms of tactile feel.
All these elements – materials, design, manufacturing, total attention to detail – resulted in a design that reflected the skill of the design team. Teamwork and collaboration within the company have made the new flagship unique.
“I am very proud of the creativity and the endless effort to bring it to life that made the top 10 a reality,” says Katherine Kim, lead designer. “The project would not have taken place without continuous collaboration between different directions in the development of the device.”