CNETAnalysis: The near-universal standing ovation offered to the HTC One ‘s aluminium body may have convinced Samsung to up its design game, according to reports this weekend. The Korean company may have enjoyed a series of box office smashes with its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note devices, but each has been critiqued in some capacity for their plasticky, cheap-looking designs. Now, according to Sam Mobile sources, the company is “worried” by how the HTC One raised the stakes and plans to strike back with an improved build material for the Galaxy Note 3 , rumoured for later this year. The site wrote: “According to SamMobile’s famous insider, Samsung is planning to switch build quality for the next flagship device. He pointed out that the Galaxy Note 3 will not use the design guidelines of the Galaxy S4.” Taking Note The report didn’t elaborate on which material Samsung would be choosing for the Galaxy Note 3, but with the iPhone and HTC One going with aluminium, that would clearly be the favourite. Sam Mobile said the company had experimented with a metal Galaxy S4 , which was received very well internally, but would not have allowed Samsung to mass produce enough of the device in time for launch. The perception that Samsung phones lack the build quality of some of its rivals has helped the chasing pack cling to its coat-tails in the last 12 months. May the smartphone gods have mercy on their souls if Samsung really decides to go high-end with its design ethos. Related Stories Microsoft and Nokia file EU complaint against ‘trojan horse’ Google Has Apple left Samsung out in the cold over A7 chip project? Interview: Why ARM is still the tech giant you don’t really know Foxconn woes: is Apple’s time at the top over? Apple and Google accused of using legal dispute for media attention
