The Wall Street Journal confirms some BIG news about the next iPhone. Indeed, Apple's flagship is growing larger.

On May 21 and May 22, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung Vice Chairman Choi Gee-sung will meet in San Francisco, California in the hopes of ending numerous lawsuits between the two companies over intellectual property rights. However, don’t be too surprised if the talks end with no resolution.

Three generations in, Apple’s iPad is the best selling tablet of all time, with each subsequent refresh better than its predecessor. So, how does Apple improve the iPad in 2013 and beyond? We’ve got some initial suggestions before the rumor mill begins again.

We’ve already told you how Apple and Samsung are working closely with each other to introduce the world to the new iPad. Now, The Korean Times (via Slashgear) suggests the two technology powerhouses are working to bringing us an 7" iPad “Mini” later this year.

Apple and Samsung continue fighting each other over patent infringements, but that doesn’t mean they can’t work together. Case in point is the new iPad. According to Bloomburg, quoting iSuppli, Samsung is the only touch screen supplier for Apple’s latest tablet.

This week, Apple has sent its lawyers after both Motorola and Samsung. According to reports from Reuters and paidContent, Apple is suing Motorola for the company's use of Qualcomm technology, while Samsung is being targeted because of its autocorrect feature (among other iOS patents).

Apple will be using LCD panels from Sharp, Inc. for its iPad 3, according to The Wall Street Journal. In addition, the company is said to be providing the LCD panels for the sixth-generation iPhone as well. Both Apple products are expected in 2012.

Facebook, the social networking gorilla, could unveil its first smartphone powered by a modified version of Android, according to a special first-in-a-series report by All Things Digital. Code-named “Buffy,” after the TV character played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, the new handset could arrive within 12-18 months.

Samsung, the South Korean-based electronics company, is now the world’s largest provider of smartphones. In the just completed third quarter Samsung overtook Apple for the title, according to BGR.

Samsung is hoping $2 smartphones help slow the Friday launch of the iPhone 4S. The South Korean-based company is offering its new Samsung Galaxy S II to customers in Australia for just $2 AU, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Not surprisingly, Samsung plans today to file preliminary injunction motions against Apple over its new iPhone 4S. The South Korean-based company is hoping to convince courts in Paris and Milan, Italy to stop the sale of Apple’s next-generation handset before they begin, according to CNN.

According to a recent survey, 89 percent of iPhone owners will stick with Apple when it comes to purchasing their next smart phone handset. This figure placed Apple ahead of every other manufacturer in terms of smart phone retention rate, with HTC's 39 percent earning the company the position of second place.

The UK Advertising Standards Authority has recently ruled that Apple has the right to call its handset "the world's thinnest smart phone," and that the Samsung Galaxy S II does not hold a claim to the title because of its larger, thicker derrière.

Samsung is rumored to be interested in purchasing webOS from HP, according to news first reported by Apple Insider. The move, if correct, could worsen the already strained relationship between Apple and the South Korean tech giant.

Samsung has announced that it will soon launch "ChatON," its own group messaging service which will be compatible with iOS, Android and BlackBerry OS smart phones, along with Samsung's own Bada OS.

The battle between Samsung and Apple over iDevice designs has taken a particularly interesting turn. In an opposition brief to Apple’s motion for a preliminary injunction in the United States, Samsung is using the movie 2010: A Space Odyssey as evidence that there was “prior art” for a certain iPad-related design patent, according to Foss Patents.

Apple and Samsung are said to be working on bringing solar-power to future iDevices. How cool is that?

Remember those Smart Cases for Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet that looked eerily similar to Apple’s patented Smart Cover line for the iPad 2? They’re now gone and no longer for sale

Samsung should expect another lawsuit from Apple. The tech giant recently approved the Smart Case for the company’s Galaxy Tab 10.1. And yes, you guessed it; the case looks exactly like Apple’s own line of Smart Covers, right down to the colors, in news first reported by 9 To 5 Mac.

Apple is working with Samsung and LG to provide a significantly better display for the iPad 3. However, it looks like Apple is looking elsewhere for its future chip needs, according to news first reported by The Korea Times.

The battle between Apple and Samsung has moved to another level. In court documents filed this week, the Korean tech giant seeks the total removal of some Apple products from U.S. stores, according to The Wall Street Journal.

In a striking, but perhaps temporary blow, a U.S. Circuit Court judge has denied Samsung’s request to see Apple’s unannounced future iPhone and iPad models calling the request overreaching. The 11-page order came from Judge Lucy Koh late Tuesday, according to Apple Insider.

A recent investigation by Bernstein Research has made an interesting discovery: According to the investigation, consumers choose tablets based on how similar they are to Apple's iPad - a device that dominates (and will likely continue to dominate) the tablet market.