Wow.... You honestly think the 3g design is the best looking? Shoot me your pay pal addy, Ill pay for your eye exam!
Guess you don't have much experience with anodized aluminum products. Take any anodized aluminum part and rub it in and out of your pocked 100 times a day. Set that same part down and pick it up off a table 100 times a day ect ect. Use it as you would a phone and let me know what that part looks like in a day, a week, 2 weeks ect. I've spent a LOT of time with anodized aluminum, both using and manufacturing parts that are anodized and trust me, phones are abused more than most other items. The iPhones are NOT wearing faster than other aluminum parts anodized to the thickness the iPhone 5 is anodized. Of course they could of gone a bit deeper with their anodizing but then the back plate would of had to been thicker which wold of added weight. NOW the manufacturing issues aside, I have 1911s that had holster rub after 1 hour of practice (which is about 20 in and outs of the holster). My custom 1911 was $1400 so would you call their anodizing cheap? No, anodizing rubs off with NORMAL daily use. That daily use can be obtained in a few short days depending on how the item is used. Tight jeans + spaz that looks at phone 200 times a day = rub in anodizing. Facts are facts and complaining about it isn't going to change them. Now we can debate if Apple should of used black anodizing in the first place but that has nothing to do with the properties of aluminum and anodizing.
I bought the black Mini... use it in a much different way and it still looks pristine (even after a drop and dent on the bottom R corner the anodizing is still there). Now it is probably because the could go deeper with the anodizing because the back case is thicker. If I was to put it in and out of my pocket many times a day the anodizing would surely look scuffed in the affected areas.