When Samsung sat down to design its original Series 3 Chromebox, a desktop powered by Google’s Chrome OS, the Korean company clearly took a lot of inspiration from Apple (and not for the first time). The device looked very similar to the Mac mini, Apple’s entry-level desktop, only with lick of black paint here and there. But that’s no longer the case.

Samsung has overhauled the Chromebox with a brand new look, and I have to say, I think it’s pretty nice. Just don’t look forward to any improvements on the inside.

HTC China president Ray Yam believes the Taiwanese company’s new licensing deal with Apple will allow it to “take broader steps” and create better products this year. The Droid DNA maker recently entered into a 10-year licensing agreement with Apple that covers all current, pending, and future patents, and ended the litigation ongoing between the two companies.

Samsung’s request to keep some of its sales data sealed in an ongoing patent dispute with Apple in the United States has been denied by District Judge Lucy Koh. The Korean electronics giant wanted to keep its figures secret while it appeals an earlier sealing order, but it will now have to disclose the information to Apple.

Huawei has already confirmed that it has a number of new handsets lined up for CES 2013 next week, two of which will be powered by Android. The Ascend D2 is arguably the most exciting one, and as you can see from its leaked press shot above, it’s a very good-looking device. In fact, its chamfered silver bezel with embedded white antennas make it look a lot like Apple’s white iPhone 5.

Thanks to affordable offerings like the Amazon Kindle Fire HD and the Google Nexus 7, Android tablets continue to increase their market share and claw away at the iPad’s lead. However, Apple’s tablet remains king of the web, accounting for a whopping 87% of tablet web traffic in North America.