“Gold phone” is something of a misnomer these days, the term appended to champagne- and rose-colored variants of devices like the iPhone 5s and Galaxy S 4, though no actual gold is used in their construction. Until recently, the only true “gold” smartphones to be found were a few ultra-high end Vertu handsets destined for the pockets of the super-rich.
HTC’s newest variant of the One, plated in 18-karat gold protected by a non-scratch clear-coat, isn’t a groundbreaking reinvention of the “gold” phone paradigm; valued at $4000 and limited to a production run of just five units, it’s much more an appeal to publicity than a mainstream consumer product. But anytime a guy walks into a room with a Pelican case protected by two locks and a beefy security dude, you just can’t help but want to peek inside.
Fortunately, our hands-on video is here to help you do just that. Granted, it’s more of an eyes-on, and the reflective gold plating in the dim demo room played havoc with our auto-focus, but even given those conditions, we think you’ll enjoy a look at the most authentic “golden phone” we’ve seen to date.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1vhPTUnFYY8