We’re all well aware of how successful Samsung’s Android smartphones have been in recent years, but new research from produce and price comparison website Idealo puts the Korean company’s dominance into perspective.

Over five quarters between Q4 2011 and Q4 2012, Samsung devices accounted for a full 50% of Android smartphone “clicks” on Idealo. What’s more, the company has produced no less than 12 of the top 20 smartphones.

We simply love wallpapers. They’re one of the first changes we make to our Android devices and often represent our moods, interests, or wicked alter egos. They’re as unique as the individuals who use them! Each day we’re going to feature a free wallpaper for you to download and use on your Android device. 

Sharp has this morning announced a ¥10.4 billion ($112 million) investment from Samsung that will provide the latter with a 3% stake in the company. It makes Samsung the biggest individual shareholder in the Japanese display maker, and secures its access to Sharp’s LCD panel supplies.

The investment comes at a time when Sharp has been struggling. The company received a $4.4 billion bailout from the banks in October 2012, and its iPad display orders from Apple were recently cut as consumer demand shifted to the smaller iPad mini, which Sharp is not involved with.

Samsung has launched some of the post popular Android handsets of all time, with its Galaxy S series — which includes the Galaxy S II and the Galaxy S III — selling more than 100 million units. But the devices certainly aren’t popular for their build quality.

All of Samsung’s devices are made of plastic, and although they look good, they don’t feel anywhere near as nice as competing handsets like the iPhone 5, the Nexus 4, and any of HTC’s high-end Android handsets — particularly the new HTC One — which use materials like glass and aluminum to provide a premium feel.

But Samsung isn’t about to change that for the upcoming Galaxy S IV. The Korean company has confirmed it will continue to use plastic, and it has its reasons for doing so.

Google’s latest Jelly Bean platform has been available for just under eight months now, but like its predecessors, it’s been slow to make its way to Android smartphones and tablets. That’s not Google’s fault — it’s own Nexus devices get the latest releases almost as soon as they’re available — but Android hardware manufacturers are, unfortunately, notoriously slow at updated their devices.

Nevertheless, Jelly Bean’s market share is growing. According to Google’s latest data, it’s now installed on 16.5% of devices.