Could Your Next Smartphone Be Made of ... Carbon Fiber?

South Korean electronics giant Samsung just formed a joint venture with a German firm. The venture with carbon and graphite manufacturing expert SGL Group will provide Samsung with a steady supply of carbon fiber materials in return for marketing assistance to SGL across Asia, at first.

Sammy's smartphones are often knocked for their cheap look and feel, being made mainly out of standard plastics. On the other hand, Apple iPhones are impeccable masterpieces of industrial design -- but being covered in glass on two sides, they're prone to cracked and shattered glass panels.

Will carbon fiber shells give Samsung a solution to the trade-off between tangible quality and ruggedness? The material is light but sturdy and looks like a million bucks if you treat it right. A perfect fit for high-end smartphones, right?

All of that is true, but Fool contributor Anders Bylund would still advise you not to hold your breath waiting for a carbon fiber Galaxy S5 from Samsung. This partnership is aimed at other markets, both in terms of geography and business applications. If this is the silver bullet for Samsung's low-end design values, Sammy isn't likely to fire it anytime soon.