Let's talk build quality

[makken]

Any other devices that exhibit exceptional build quality? Post them here.

 

[zerogear]

Actually, Foxconn's mass production is an incredible feat.

FTFY

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

FTFY

So what? It takes a certain level of execution from the design team to implement that into production. I specifically deal with CMs all the time, and just because you have a good CM doesn't mean you're done. Your supplier quality engineers and component engineers who specialize in DFX and R&D in the background are the ones who make it happen.

It's still incredible what they've done. No one else has really come close except the HTC One.

SNIP

I'd argue the T40 was great in an era where PC laptops were shit to begin with. Yeah, it was the best plastic one, but to me it's no outstanding model. The Macbook Pros back then were probably more amazing in construction. I'm writing this on my ThinkPad for work. It's good in the sense that it's better than my crappy Dell at home, but I'd take my MacBook Pro 2008 over this. Surely any unibody MacBook Pro feels even better today. The only complaint for me is the sharp edges, but that's not so much a build quality issue as it is a design issue.

Moreover, it's a very industrial old look, and in today's world having that washed out TN panel makes it a very disappointing product when facing manufacturers who are finally focusing on the screen.

I do not know that Nokia slider, but I have owned and used a few. The Nokia N80 and N95 are prime examples of slider phones. None of those are considered good build quality. They wobble and creak easily. They're good phones overall, but none of them feel really solid in your hand.

 

[makken]

I'd argue the T40 was great in an era where PC laptops were shit to begin with. Yeah, it was the best plastic one, but to me it's no outstanding model. The Macbook Pros back then were probably more amazing in construction. I'm writing this on my ThinkPad for work. It's good in the sense that it's better than my crappy Dell at home, but I'd take my MacBook Pro 2008 over this. Surely any unibody MacBook Pro feels even better today. The only complaint for me is the sharp edges, but that's not so much a build quality issue as it is a design issue.

Moreover, it's a very industrial old look, and in today's world having that washed out TN panel makes it a very disappointing product when facing manufacturers who are finally focusing on the screen.

I do not know that Nokia slider, but I have owned and used a few. The Nokia N80 and N95 are prime examples of slider phones. None of those are considered good build quality. They wobble and creak easily. They're good phones overall, but none of them feel really solid in your hand.

build wise, I would place the thinkpads above the ibook/macbook for the entire IBM era. The lenovo era, I'm not too sure about.

I haven't used the N80 and N95, but from my brief time with the 8800 overseas, it was much better than the 8890 and N86 that I've used.

 

[notposting]

This is going to be an odd one, but for the physical build quality, the Motorola Devour was actually really nice. Some poor design and budget choices made it a loser as a smartphone, but the feel of it was incredible. Aluminum, perfectly weighted and snappy slider, stealth removable battery and micro SD slot, bumpers in the right places for durability, keyboard that I loved. Of course, the crappy fixed focus camera, oddball set of 3 capacitive buttons and notification light location, and combination of Motoblur and being stuck on Android 1.6 with a 3.1" were killers. Oh and the absolutely TERRIBLE reception was the nail in the coffin. Returned mine pretty quickly and got the OG Droid instead.