Tried to find it again, but can’t locate. Maybe 1-2 years ago the company that helped design the S1 hardware posted a cool video about their process and all the prototypes they went through.
Designing a functional controller is an art form in itself. In a former life when I worked at HP my cubicle was one over from the guy that designed the styrofoam packaging and welcome matte for scanners. Listening to endless conference calls. It’s fascinating.
This is the part that all the cheap clones take shortcuts on or skip altogether. Yes, properly designed hardware costs more (just like the iPhone), but usually it’s for a good reason and it’s a good investment. The cheapest always wins race we’ve been on is not a winning strategy.
If I find the video, I’ll post a link.