Reports that Samsung would opt for a metal frame for the Galaxy Note 3 in response to great reviews for the HTC’s build quality were nothing more than a PR plant from HTC, an industry analyst has claimed.

Yesterday, a slew of tech sites reported that Samsung’s third-gen phablet would ditch the Note range’s plastic construction for weightier, premium materials. The move was said to be inspired by the glowing reviews for the aluminium unibody exterior of the HTC One, which we were told left Samsung “worried” that its handset looked and felt low-end in comparison.

However, according to Mobile Review Editor and all-round mobile motormouth Eldar Murtazin, the story was the work of HTC’s press department and not based on fact.

So what to make of this? It’s hard to say. But given that the HTC One’s sales are probably best described as solid but unspectacular, it seems pretty unlikely that Samsung really is concerned over losing its status as Android number one.

But what we do know is that SamMobile, from whence the metallic body story originated, claimed they were tipped off by insiders. Given the site’s close ties with Samsung, we’re guessing that they sourced the news item from someone in their employ rather than a member of the HTC PR team.

Either way, we’ve approached SamMobile to find out a bit more about the claims of PR puff. Check back here to find out their take on it.

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Leaked images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 offer no real indication of the phablet’s actual look and feel, it has been revealed, as anticipation builds for the smartphone-tablet hybrid’s debut later this year.

Unearthed by EV Leaks, photos purporting to show a prototype version of the Galaxy Note 3 depicted a handset with an angular look a million miles from the curved edges and 'nature-inspired' design of the previous two Notes.

The images sparked speculation that Samsung could be about to radically change direction for the design of the Note 3.

The stories were lent an extra veneer of credibility - in some circles, anyway - by separate reports that Samsung is contemplating ditching earlier Note models’ plastic construction for a metal frame. This was interpreted as a sign that some kind of design rethink was almost certainly afoot at any rate.

However, that sort speculation ground to a halt today, after an industry source got in touch with Sam Mobile to debunk claims that the pictured phone reflects Samsung’s new guidelines and claimed that the kit we're looking at is merely a prototype sent out to developers.

To corroborate his story, the site’s insider, himself a dev, sent in his own image showing his developer-only model, complete with the uncommonly square design that sparked the initial conjecture.

The latest bout of rumour-mongering over the Note 3 comes amid separate reports – admittedly pretty unlikely ones - that the handset could be the first from the Samsung stable to pack flexible screen technology.

Earlier leaks from the Samsung supply chain suggest that the Note 3 will also pack a 6.0” full HD AMOLED display, 4G LTE support, a quad-core processor and a 13-megapixel camera.

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SamMobile

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Fans of novelty/ innovative [delete as you feel applicable] form factors holding out for a flexible screen-toting Samsung Galaxy handset got something of a fillip today, after a source corroborated rumours that the Note 3 could debut bendy display technology later this year.

Speaking to the thoroughly decent coves at SamMobile, an unnamed insider revealed that there are three different prototypes of the Note 3 being tested right now.Among these is one with a flexible screen, which, manufacturing problems permitting, might make it to market, the source claims.

In case production problems with the tech prove insurmountable, Samsung is testing two other shells for the Note 3. These prototypes purportedly feature an exterior that’s barely discernable from the Galaxy S4 and another with what’s intriguingly described as a “completely different” design.

One look that it seems we definitely won’t be seeing with the Note 3, however, is the boxy, square form factor that cropped up online last week.

According to SamMobile’s man this was a fake – something we’d long suspected given how far it departs from Samsung’s curvaceous, nature-inspired design ethos and close resemblance to a Sony smartphone.

Earlier rumours suggest that the third-gen Note is expected to reveal itself in September at the IFA tech expo and will pack a 5.6-inch full HD display and a quad-core processor.

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SamMobile

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