Are Liquidmetal bodies the next big thing in smartphone design? A rumour on Tuesday suggested HTC is looking for a leap on the competition and may launch a smartphone with the tech as soon as this year.

A report from the sometimes hit-and-miss and Digitimes website claimed HTC has teamed up with Taiwanese compatriot and chassis-maker Jabon International to produce the super-strong alloy.

The report claimed HTC could unleash the first Liquidmetal phone, which would likely be stronger and more scratch-proof than current models at somepoint during the second half of the year.

If the rumour, which is to be taken with a pinch, nay, a grain of salt, comes to fruition, HTC would join Apple in the Liquidmetal game.

HTC vs iPhone?

Naturally, Apple is also exploring the tech, potentially for new iPhone models.

In June last year, the company extended its exclusive deal with US-based Liquidmetal Intellectual by another two years.

It remains unclear as to whether the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 will be the name of Apple's next iPhone, but rumors suggest its screen will be extremely clear with double the pixel count.

That means the iPhone 5S display could reach a total of 1.5 million pixels, according to the Chinese-language Wei Feng Network.

This would be a vast improvement over the 727,040 pixels found in the current iPhone 5 Retina display, which stands at 640 x 1,136 resolution and 326 pixels per inch.

It would also keep Apple from trailing competitors like Samsung, which recently launched its Galaxy S4 smartphone containing a 1920 x 1080 resolution and 441 ppi.

Similarly, the HTC One features a 1920 x 1080 display at 468 ppi, heightening the iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S4 vs HTC One debate.

iPad mini-like bezel

The iPhone 5S is also said to be taking some design tips from the iPad mini by adopting a much narrower bezel around the screen like its tablet counterpart.

It's not the only Apple product taking cues from the iPad mini. The full-sized iPad 5 is rumored to feature a thinner bezel and be 33 percent lighter than the iPad 4.

While the all-important iPhone 5S release date and price haven't been confirmed, previous reports suggest that the Apple's 2013 iPhone will enter mass production in June and launch in September.

The iPhone 5S launch should be accompanied by the company's next mobile operating system, the iOS 7, and what's expected to be a flat, skeuomorphic-free design.

• Read up all of the WWDC news in addition to Jony Ive's iOS 7 redesign gamble.

While the battle for which company has the better smartphone often devolves into a mere spec war, sometimes it's the simplest features that can help a phone stand out from the competition.

Even though Apple may be outgunned by other manufacturers like HTC and Samsung when it comes to screens, cameras, or raw power, the Cupertino company has arguably always had a leg up on the ease of use over its competitors.

Now, Apple is potentially readying a new feature which could make using the iPhone 5S easier and intuitive for its users.

With its latest patent, Apple has created a way for the iPhone to automatically adjust its volume based on the device's proximity to a user's ear.

Hear, hear

According to Apple Insider, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple the patent for "Adjustment of acoustic properties based on proximity detection."

Using a variety of sensors in the phone, the software would adjust the volume on the call accordingly based on which of the sensors was covered up or exposed.

As long as a distance could be calculated by the device, both the receiver and speaker volume could be configured with no input from the user.

Additionally, the patent works while the phone is already in use, and could switch the phone from the receiver to the speaker should a person set the phone down during a conversation.

Though the patent doesn't explicitly state when or where Apple might use such a feature, the hardware already exists, so it's entirely possible such an update could come to older iPhones as well as future devices.

Curiously, the patent's approval comes just a short time after the U.S. International Trade Commision (ITC) threw out a sensor-related patent complaint levied by Motorola against Apple.

Now that Apple appears to be free and clear, we could see this patent put to use sooner rather than later.

So which one will we see first the iPhone 5S or the iPhone 6? Read our coverage of all the latest news and rumors to see which one Cupertino will release.

LG isn't about to take Samsung's current domination of Android lying down, laying out plans for new tablets and a synchronized worldwide rollout for the Optimus G2.

PhoneArena reported Tuesday that new details have been revealed for LG's product lineup, which includes plans for a return to Android tablets by year's end.

In an interview with Dutch website AllAboutPhone, LG Mobile Vice-President for Europe Wong Kim followed up news of a white Nexus 4 and its forthcoming tablet ambitions by announcing the company plans to roll out its next flagship handset everywhere at once.

Rumored to be powered by a Snapdragon 800 processor, the LG Optimus G2 is expected to skip the staggered rollout of its predecessor, the Optimus G, which wound up being released months apart in many regions.

Too soon for flexible

Kim also revealed LG plans to introduce a phone powered by something other than Android this year - presumably Firefox OS, since Mozilla lists the Korean manufacturer as one of its partners.

Unfortunately, 2013 isn't shaping up to be the year for bendable smartphones, such as the flexible five-inch Full HD OLED display the company showed off last week.

Kim claims "the technology for this is not yet mature enough," while the L9 chipset which powers existing LG televisions also appears to be off the table for mobile devices for now.

That may leave LG treading water for most of the year, but its European VP teased that the best is yet to come thanks to a bigger marketing push and new devices arriving before the calendar rolls over to 2014.

Read more about LG and the Optimus G2