Density equals mass over volume and what makes your device feel like a premium product

I still remember the first time I picked up my Nokia (NYSE: NOK) E61i, I named it “The Hammer of Thor.” The device weighs 15o grams and has the following dimensions: 11.7 x 7 x 1.39 cm; that gives it a density of ~ 1.32 g/cc. Compare that with the Nokia N95, 120 grams and much chunkier at 9.9 x 5.3 x 2.1 cm. It has a density of 1.09, the thing practically floats in water.

Recently I had the chance to play with a Nokia 6500 Classic and was amazed by how heavy it was in such a small package. I know several limp wristed individuals out there are going to complain about weight, but what happened to real men who like their devices heavy, who like to feel quality?

The 6500 is 94 grams and only 10.98 x 4.5 x .95 cm, that is a density of 2.0, that is a device that feels absolutely amazing in the hand.

What about other phone makers? The HTC TyTN II is 11.2 x 5.9 x 1.9 cm and weighs 190 grams. That baby has a density of 1.51 and one thing you always hear people say when they’re talking about the TyTN II is the fact that it feels incredibly solid. The iPhone, 135 grams and 11.5 x 6.1 x 1.16 cm has a density of 1.66.

Enough math, its Monday and you’re probably still recovering from the weekend, what I’m trying to drive home is that a weighty device isn’t a bad thing. Feeling good in the hand goes beyond the plastics or metals used, there is another element, density, that is event more important when taking into consideration purchasing a product.

Device makers should not be worrying about shedding weight, but instead shedding millimeters. Who else likes heavy objects in small spaces, don’t they just feel like a totally different class of product compared to everything else on the market?