Good looking, but cheap.

After months of rumor and speculation surrounding the new Galaxy S4, Samsung finally unveiled its new “life companion” at a very peculiar event in New York City’s Radio City Music Hall last night. The device has already received some criticism for looking a lot like its predecessor, the Galaxy S III, and indeed a number of Samsung’s other smartphones.

Fans are disappointed that the Korean company has continued to use plastic for its new flagship — despite a company executive explaining the decision behind this earlier this month — and that it hasn’t switched to more premium materials like aluminum and glass, following companies like Apple, HTC, and LG.

If you’re one of those fans, then you’re going to be even more disappointed when you hear the latest Galaxy S4 rumor, which claims Samsung developed a number of prototypes for the device, then brought the cheapest one to market.

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 — HTC hasn’t announced any new devices here at Mobile World Congress, but that’s because it chose to give its latest Android flagship, the HTC One, its own press event earlier this month. It is here to show off that device, however, and it’s easy to see why the Taiwanese company wants everyone to get their hands on it.

Android smartphone vendors are often criticized for using too much plastic, and making devices that feel cheap — especially in comparison with Apple’s premium iPhone. But the HTC One is very different. Made from a block of aluminum, the device actually has a lot in common with the iPhone, and it looks and feels exactly how a high-end smartphone should.

BARCELONA, MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS — As I was walking around the show floor at MWC today, I noticed a number of smartphones that looked very familiar — yet they were being paraded by Chinese companies I’d never heard of. I saw what looked like a large iPhone 5, an entire range of Samsung Galaxy devices, and a number of high-end HTC handsets.

Except they weren’t really Apple, Samsung, or HTC devices at all; they were actually cheap clones that were trying their best to look like the real thing. They even had fake accessories that were identical to the originals.

GooPhone, a Chinese manufacturer famous for its clones of high-end smartphones and tablets, has today revealed the N2 Lite, its Samsung Galaxy Note II copy. The device comes with a 5.5-inch display, and even has its own S Pen, and at first glance, it almost looks identical to the real thing. Pull away its plastic, however, and and you’ll find it’s very different.