After using plastic as casing for so many of its devices, South Korean tech giant Samsung is reportedly planning to use metal for the next model of the Galaxy S5. The basis of the speculation is a Samsung patent filed in Seoul in 2011 and registered in the U.S. in 2012.

According to Patent Bolt, the upcoming S5 would have a sharply angled metal case, although the Web site does not discount the possibility that Samsung could just be experimenting with no definite plans of implementing changes it considered along the way.

Nevertheless, the patent provides fuel to rumours that the S5 could possibly be the first ferrous phone in the Galaxy line, among the other speculations about the upcoming device's features.

Tech experts have given their thumbs up for the S4 because of its specs, but diss its plastic cover, which is the reason that many reviewers favour more the aluminium-cased HTC One.

However, for those who cannot wait for the S5 to have a metal-covered Samsung Android smartphone, they could purchase metal cases from eBay, available in different colours at under $10, for their S4 mobile device.

But the change in casing from plastic to metal would mean losing the phone's NFC and reducing signal strength.