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Samsung is building a metal smartphone… but it’s not the Galaxy S5

Published Dec 31st, 2013 9:15AM EST
BGR

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We feel pretty confident that Samsung’s Galaxy S5 will be a killer smartphone but one question remains: Will Samsung finally follow in the footsteps of the iPhone 5s and the HTC One and use a premium aluminum build or will it stick with its tried-and-true plastic formula? The latest gossip from Korea’s ETNews suggests that Samsung may release two flagship smartphones at the same time next year: The Galaxy S5, which will have Samsung’s trademark plastic casing, and the Galaxy F, which will be the first flagship Samsung smartphone to have a metal casing.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard of the Galaxy F, of course, but this is the most concrete report we’ve read so far indicating that the new device will be launched alongside the Galaxy S5 early in 2014. ETNews says that Samsung has recently expanded its manufacturing operations to Vietnam specifically to build the new metal flagship phone, which may explain why Digitimes recently reported that none of the company’s traditional manufacturing partners have done any work building a metal smartphone case yet.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.