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.

BARCELONA, MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS — I’ve used both the original Galaxy Note and the Galaxy Note II for fairly lengthy periods, and although I’ve quickly gotten used to their super-sized displays, there was one thing that never failed to frustrate me. Samsung didn’t make the capacitive buttons beneath the display compatible with the S Pen, so when you’re working with the stylus, you have to move it out of the way and use your fingers to go back or access a menu.

Sure, it’s only a small flaw, but it’s still a frustrating one — as I’m sure anyone who’s ever owned a Galaxy Note will tell you. Thankfully, Samsung has fixed this with the new Galaxy Note 8.0.

BARCELONA, MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS -Mobile World Congress 2013 is now underway here in Barcelona, and there’s one device we couldn’t wait to get our hands on: the Galaxy Note 8.0 — Samsung’s answer to the iPad mini. In addition to its 8-inch display, the device boasts a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, and of course, the Note’s trademark S Pen.

But can it give the iPad mini a run for its money?

Throughout the Samsung vs. Apple patent trial, Judge Lucy Koh has been a stern and sardonic overseer that has more often than not resembled a fight between children than an actual lawsuit. Now Koh is speaking up again, telling Samsung and Apple that, once again, they are wasting everyone’s time throwing a million and one allegations at one another, and that they need to “focus and streamline” their cases against one another.

A number of third-party cases designed to fit the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S IV have been obtained by British accessory retailer MobileFun. Made by a “trusted” Chinese manufacturer, the cases give us an idea of the size and shape of Samsung’s much-anticipated flagship, which looks to be nowhere near as curvy as its predecessor.