Samsung Galaxy (, stylised as SΛMSUNG Galaxy since 2015 (except Japan where it omits the Samsung branding),
previously stylised as Samsung GALAXY; abbreviated as SG) is a series of
computing
Computing is any goal-oriented activity requiring, benefiting from, or creating computing machinery. It includes the study and experimentation of algorithmic processes, and development of both hardware and software. Computing has scientific, ...
and
mobile computing
Mobile computing is human–computer interaction in which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage, which allows for the transmission of data, voice, and video. Mobile computing involves mobile communication, mobile hardware ...
devices that are designed, manufactured and marketed by
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of the Samsung chaebol, acc ...
. The product line includes the
Samsung Galaxy S series
The Samsung Galaxy S series is a line of high-end Android smartphones produced by Samsung Electronics. Together with the foldable Galaxy Fold and the now discontinued Galaxy Note series, the lineup serves as Samsung's flagship smartphone lineup. ...
of high-end
smartphones
A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
, the
Samsung Galaxy Tab series of
tablets, the
Samsung Galaxy Note series of tablets and
phablet
A phablet (, ) is a mobile device combining or straddling the size formats of smartphones and tablets. The word is a portmanteau of ''phone'' and ''tablet''.
Phablets feature large displays that complement screen-intensive activity such as mo ...
s with the added functionality of a stylus, the foldable
Samsung Galaxy Z series
The Samsung Galaxy Z series (named as Samsung Galaxy Foldables in certain territories) is a line of foldable smartphones manufactured by Samsung Electronics.
With the 2020 announcement of the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung's future foldable smartp ...
, and
smartwatch
A smartwatch is a wearable computer in the form of a watch; modern smartwatches provide a local touchscreen interface for daily use, while an associated smartphone app provides management and telemetry, such as long-term biomonitoring. Whil ...
es including the first version of the
Samsung Galaxy Gear, with later versions dropping the Galaxy branding, until the release of the
Samsung Galaxy Watch in 2018.
Samsung Galaxy devices use the
Android operating system
Android is a mobile operating system based on a modified version of the Linux kernel and other open-source software, designed primarily for touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Android is developed by a consortium of d ...
produced by
Google
Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...
, with a custom user interface called
One UI
One UI is a user interface developed by Samsung Electronics for its Android devices running Android 9 "Pie" and later. Succeeding Samsung Experience and TouchWiz, it is designed to make using larger smartphones easier and be more visually app ...
(with previous versions being known as
Samsung Experience and
TouchWiz
TouchWiz was a user interface developed by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd with partners, featuring a full touch user interface. It is sometimes incorrectly referred to as an operating system. TouchWiz is used internally by Samsung for smartphones, ...
). However, the
Galaxy TabPro S is the first Galaxy-branded
Windows 10
Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It is the direct successor to Windows 8.1, which was released nearly two years earlier. It was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on ...
device that was announced in
CES 2016
CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event typi ...
. The Galaxy Watch is the first Galaxy-branded smartwatch since the release of later iterations of the Gear smartwatch from 2014 to 2017.
In 2020 Samsung added the
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2-in-1 laptop running
ChromeOS
ChromeOS, sometimes stylized as chromeOS and formerly styled as Chrome OS, is a Linux-based operating system designed by Google. It is derived from the open-source ChromiumOS and uses the Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interfa ...
to the Galaxy branding lineup.
The follow-on
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 was released in 2021.
Definitions
Categories
Galaxy S,
Galaxy Note (discontinued in 2021),
Galaxy Fit,
Galaxy A,
Galaxy J (discontinued in 2019),
Galaxy M,
Galaxy Tab,
Galaxy Fold,
Galaxy Flip,
Galaxy Watch,
Galaxy Grand (discontinued).
Smartphones
The flagship Galaxy smartphones are the
Galaxy S and the phablet
Galaxy Note
The Samsung Galaxy Note series is a discontinued line of high-end Android phablets and smartphones developed and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The line is primarily oriented towards pen computing; all Galaxy Note models ship with a stylu ...
series. The
Galaxy Z series
The Samsung Galaxy Z series (named as Samsung Galaxy Foldables in certain territories) is a line of foldable smartphones manufactured by Samsung Electronics.
With the 2020 announcement of the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung's future foldable smartp ...
are foldable smartphones. The
Galaxy A series
The Samsung Galaxy A series is a line of mid-range smartphones and tablets manufactured by Samsung Electronics as part of their Galaxy line. The first model in the series was the first-generation Galaxy Alpha, released on 31 October 2014.
Fol ...
,
Galaxy M series and
Galaxy F series are mid-range. Other lines like the C, J, and W are discontinued.
Model numbers
Since September 2013, model numbers of devices in the Samsung Galaxy series are in the "SM-XXXX" format (excluding the Galaxy J SC-02F, Galaxy Centura SCH-S738C, and SGH-N075T). Previously, from 2009 until September 2013, the model numbers were in the "GT-XXXX" format.
* SM-Nnn0 – mainstream Note model (New type of model number)
* SM-Tnn0/1/5/6 – mainstream Tab model (New type of model number)
* SM-Pnn0/5 - mainstream Tab with S Pen Stylus model
* GT-Snnn2/ SM-Gnnn/DS / SM-Gnnn/DD SM-Gnnn2
Dual-SIM "Duos" model
* GT-Snnn5/GT-Nnnn5/GT-Pnnn5/GT-Innn5/SM-NnnnF/SM-Tnn5/SM-GnnnF – 4G/LTE model
* SM-Wnnn –
Windows
Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for se ...
model (i.e.,
Galaxy Book)
* SM-Gnnn - S series model
* SM-Fnnn – Z series model, F series model
* SM-Ennn – F series model
* SM-Annn – A series model
* SM-Mnnn – M series model
* SM-Snnn – S series model
* SM-Xnnn – Tab S model
Devices
Phones
Samsung Galaxy Z series
The Galaxy Z series is a line of high-end foldable smartphones. The line started in 2019 with the
Galaxy Z Fold. The latest phones from this series are the
Galaxy Z Flip4 and the
Galaxy Z Fold4, both released in August 2022.
Samsung Galaxy S (Super Smart) series
The Galaxy S series is a line of high-end smartphones. The latest models are the
Galaxy S22, S22+, and S22 Ultra, released in February 2022, and the S21 FE, released in January 2022.
Samsung Galaxy A (Alpha) series
The Galaxy A series is a line of mid-range Android smartphones manufactured by
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of the Samsung chaebol, acc ...
. The Galaxy A series is similar to the high-end Galaxy S series, but with lower specifications and features.
Samsung Galaxy M (Millennial) series
The Galaxy M series is a line of online-exclusive, mid-range to low-end phones; considered as the successor to the Galaxy J and Galaxy On series.
Samsung Galaxy F (Fun) series
The Galaxy F series is a newer line of low-end phones.
Galaxy XCover series
The Galaxy XCover series is a line of rugged “business” phones, which have low-end specifications.
Discontinued lines
Samsung released multiple series of smartphones, often overlapping with each other. Most of these series were dropped.
* The
Galaxy Note series
The Samsung Galaxy Note series is a discontinued line of high-end Android phablets and smartphones developed and marketed by Samsung Electronics. The line is primarily oriented towards pen computing; all Galaxy Note models ship with a stylu ...
was a line of high-end devices primarily oriented towards pen computing. The line was replaced by the Galaxy S Ultra series.
* The Galaxy Core/Grand series is a line of mid-range devices released between 2013 and 2015. The line was replaced by the J series.
* The
Galaxy J series
The Samsung Galaxy J series is a discontinued line (but continued in software update) entry-level Android mobile produced by the South Korean company Samsung Electronics, first introduced in 2015. This series is a part of Samsung Galaxy series, ...
was a line of entry-range phones, replaced by the Galaxy A series in 2019.
* The Galaxy Mega series was last updated in 2014 with the
Samsung Galaxy Mega 2
The Samsung Galaxy Mega 2
is an Android smartphone/tablet computer hybrid ("phablet" or "tablet phone") manufactured by Samsung and is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Mega. It was released in September 2014.
Features
The Samsung Galaxy ...
.The line's successor is the Galaxy M series.
* The Galaxy On series is a line of online-exclusive phones. The series was replaced by the Galaxy M series.
* The Galaxy Mini series was last updated in 2012 with the
Samsung Galaxy Mini 2
Samsung Galaxy Mini 2 is a smartphone manufactured by Samsung that runs the open source Android (operating system), Android Android Gingerbread, 2.3 "Gingerbread" operating system. It was announced and released by Samsung in February 2012. It is ...
.
* The Galaxy Trend series was last updated in 2013 with the
Samsung Galaxy Trend Plus.
* The Galaxy Ace series was last updated in 2014 with the
Samsung Galaxy Ace 4
The Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 is a smartphone manufactured by Samsung that runs the Android operating system. Announced in June and released by Samsung in August 2014, the Galaxy Ace 4 is the successor to the Galaxy Ace 3. An LTE model was also annou ...
.
* The Galaxy R Series was last updated in 2012 with the
Samsung Galaxy R Style
Samsung Galaxy R Style is an Android smartphone developed by Samsung Electronics. The phone was released in May 2012 and has since been discontinued. It ran on Android 4.0.3 "Ice Cream Sandwich", had a 4.3 inch display, and a 2000 mAh batt ...
* The Galaxy Young Series is a low-end line. It was last updated in 2014 with the
Samsung Galaxy Young 2
The Samsung Galaxy Young 2 is a low-end smartphone by Samsung Electronics which was released in June 2014. Like all other Samsung Galaxy smartphones, the Galaxy Young runs on the Android mobile operating system. It has a 3.5 inch TFT LCD touc ...
.
* The Galaxy Pocket series was last updated in 2014 with the
Samsung Galaxy Pocket 2.
* The Galaxy C series was a line of upper mid-range devices for specific markets. The latest device released under this line is the
Samsung Galaxy C8.
* The
Galaxy E series was replaced by Galaxy F Series.
Other phones
Tablets
Samsung Galaxy Tab Series
The Samsung Galaxy Tab series is a line of
Android-powered tablets. There are two sub-categories currently under this series:
* The Galaxy Tab S is a line of high-end tablets, with a focus on productivity and pen computing. The
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, S8+ & S8 Ultra are the latest devices, released in February 2022.
* The Galaxy Tab A is a line of mid-range to low-end tablets.
Wearables
Smartwatches
Samsung announced the
Samsung Galaxy Gear, a smartwatch running Android 4.3, on 4 September 2013. The Galaxy Gear was Samsung's only smartwatch to feature "Galaxy" branding; later Samsung smartwatches use the
Samsung Gear
Samsung Gear is a line of wearable computing devices produced by Samsung Electronics. The first device in the series, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch, was announced in 2013. Since then, the line has expanded to include fitness bands and earbu ...
branding. The Gear series was later succeeded by the
Samsung Galaxy Watch series.
In a software update in May 2014, Samsung replaced the operating system of the Galaxy Gear from Android to Tizen . Samsung's OneUI, which is running on newer Samsung Galaxy devices released after 2019, is available to Samsung Galaxy Watch on 20 May 2019.
Activity trackers
Samsung announced the
Samsung Galaxy Fit, an activity tracker positioned below the Galaxy Watch line. The first iteration was released on 2019. Samsung later announced the Galaxy Fit 2, which is a follow up of their first tracker from 2019.
Wireless earbuds
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy Buds on 20 February 2019. The Galaxy Buds is the new replacement to the
Samsung Gear IconX.
Samsung Galaxy Buds2
Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro
Laptops
In 2020 Samsung released the
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2-in-1 laptop running
ChromeOS
ChromeOS, sometimes stylized as chromeOS and formerly styled as Chrome OS, is a Linux-based operating system designed by Google. It is derived from the open-source ChromiumOS and uses the Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interfa ...
.
In 2021 the followup
Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 was released.
These laptops are based on
ChromeOS
ChromeOS, sometimes stylized as chromeOS and formerly styled as Chrome OS, is a Linux-based operating system designed by Google. It is derived from the open-source ChromiumOS and uses the Google Chrome web browser as its principal user interfa ...
rather than Android.
Other
Media player
*
Samsung Galaxy Player
Cameras
*
Samsung Galaxy Camera
The Samsung Galaxy Camera is a point-and-shoot camera which is an Android based mobile device. Samsung announced the camera in August 2012, with the slogan "Camera. Reborn." The device was officially released on 8 November 2012, with web sales beg ...
*
Samsung Galaxy Camera 2
*
Samsung Galaxy NX
The Samsung Galaxy NX is a hybrid mirrorless interchangeable lens camera manufactured by Samsung, announced in June 2013. The Galaxy NX is an Android (4.2.2, upgradeable to Android Jelly Bean MR1) based mobile device which is the first of its kind ...
Projectors
*
Samsung Galaxy Beam i8520
The Samsung i8520 (also known as Beam, or previously Halo) is a projector-enabled smartphone produced by Samsung. Its main feature is a built-in DLP WVGA projector that is able to project images at up to in size at 15 lumens. The i8520 als ...
*
Samsung Galaxy Beam i8530
The Samsung Galaxy Beam i8530 (also known as the Galaxy Beam) is a projector-enabled smartphone produced by Samsung. Its main feature is a built-in DLP nHD projector at up to in size at 15 lumens.
In February 2012 the i8530 Galaxy Beam was ...
Release history
Region locking and CSC codes
Starting from the
Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Samsung phones and tablets contained a warning label stating that it would only operate with
SIM cards from the region the phone was sold in. A spokesperson clarified the policy, stating that it was intended to prevent grey-market reselling, and that it only applied to the first SIM card inserted. For devices to use a SIM card from other regions, one of the following actions totaling five minutes or longer in length must first be performed with the SIM card from the local region:
* Make calls on the phone or watch from the Samsung Phone app
* Use the Call and Text on Other Devices feature to make calls
With the launch of the
Samsung Galaxy S8
The Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ are Android smartphones produced by Samsung Electronics as the eighth generation of the Samsung Galaxy S series. The S8 and S8+ were unveiled on 29 March 2017 and directly succeeded the Samsung G ...
series in 2017, that process has changed. Due to the fact that many variants use a Multi-CSC, it will only work with SIM cards from the same CSC group. For example, an AT&T SIM card will not work on cellular-based Galaxy devices sold in Europe and other countries.
"Over the Horizon"
"Over the Horizon" is the trademark sound for Samsung smartphone devices, first introduced in 2011 on the
Galaxy S II
The Samsung Galaxy S II (or Galaxy S2) is a touchscreen-enabled, slate-format Android smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Samsung Electronics, as the second smartphone of the Samsung Galaxy S series. It has additional software featu ...
. It was composed by Joong-sam Yun and appears as music in the music library of most Samsung phones released since 2011. Prior to 2011, "Beyond Samsung" served as Samsung's trademark music track, while "Samsung Tune" was used as the default ringtone. The sound appears as the default
ringtone
A ringtone, ring tone or ring is the sound made by a telephone to indicate an incoming call. Originally referring to and made by the electromechanical striking of bells, the term now refers to any sound on any device alerting of a new incoming ...
, as well as the sound when the phone turns on or off (a snippet is used), and as a notification sound. While the basic composition of the six-note tune has not changed since its inception, various versions of different genres have been introduced as the product line evolved.
While the first two versions were created in-house at Samsung, later versions were outsourced to external musicians. These include symphonic arrangements by
Jamie Christopherson
Jamie Christopherson is an American musician who has contributed scores to a number of popular films and video games, including the movie '' The Crow: Wicked Prayer'', and the games '' Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams'' and '' Metal Gear Rising: Revengean ...
in 2013
and 2015,
[amsung Newsroom>] a
jazz fusion
Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and ke ...
arrangement by Swedish band
Dirty Loops in 2016,
a crossover by Grammy winner
Jacob Collier
Jacob Collier (; né Moriarty; born 2 August 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. His music incorporates a combination of jazz with elements from many other musical genres, and often features extensive use of reha ...
in 2017,
an orchestral arrangement by Icelandic composer Pétur Jónsson in 2018,
a classical crossover by Academy Award-winning composer
Steven Price in 2019 performed by the
London Philharmonic Orchestra
The London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) is one of five permanent symphony orchestras based in London. It was founded by the conductors Sir Thomas Beecham and Malcolm Sargent in 1932 as a rival to the existing London Symphony and BBC Symp ...
,
a nature inspired version in 2020,
and an all-piano composition by Korean pianist
Yiruma
Lee Ru-ma ( ko, 이루마; born 15 February 1978), better known by his stage name Yiruma ( ko, 이루마, links=no), is a South Korean pianist and composer.
Biography
Yiruma was born in Seoul to a pastor. At age five, he began learning the pia ...
in 2021.
The sound has been covered by various popular artists who have released their own arrangements and remixes of the song, such as
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
,
Icona Pop
Icona Pop ( ) is a Swedish electropop duo which formed in 2009, with electro house and indie pop music influences. Its two members, Caroline Hjelt (born 8 November 1987) and Aino Jawo (born 7 July 1986), grew up in Stockholm and create what the ...
,
Yiruma
Lee Ru-ma ( ko, 이루마; born 15 February 1978), better known by his stage name Yiruma ( ko, 이루마, links=no), is a South Korean pianist and composer.
Biography
Yiruma was born in Seoul to a pastor. At age five, he began learning the pia ...
,
Suga of
BTS, and various
K-Pop
K-pop (), short for Korean popular music, is a form of popular music originating in South Korea as part of South Korean culture. It includes styles and genres from around the world, such as pop, hip hop, R&B, experimental, rock, jazz, go ...
artists.
In Samsung's U.S. registration of the trademark for the sound, it is described as "the sound of a bell playing a B4 dotted eighth note, a B4 sixteenth note, an F#5 sixteenth note, a B5 sixteenth note, an A#5 eighth note, and an F#5 half note."
[ (Tap on the heading labelled "Mark Information" to expand the section and view description details.)]
See also
*
Comparison of Samsung Galaxy S smartphones
The following is a comparative list of smartphones belonging to smartphones in the Samsung Galaxy S series line of devices, using the Android operating system. This table is primarily intended to show the ''differences'' between the model familie ...
*
Comparison of smartphones
This is a comparison of the various internal components and features of many smartphones.
Hardware and OS
2020s 2022
2021
2020
2010s
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2000s
2009
...
*
Samsung Galaxy Z series
The Samsung Galaxy Z series (named as Samsung Galaxy Foldables in certain territories) is a line of foldable smartphones manufactured by Samsung Electronics.
With the 2020 announcement of the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung's future foldable smartp ...
*
Samsung Galaxy S series
The Samsung Galaxy S series is a line of high-end Android smartphones produced by Samsung Electronics. Together with the foldable Galaxy Fold and the now discontinued Galaxy Note series, the lineup serves as Samsung's flagship smartphone lineup. ...
*
Samsung Galaxy Note series
*
Samsung Galaxy A series
The Samsung Galaxy A series is a line of mid-range smartphones and tablets manufactured by Samsung Electronics as part of their Galaxy line. The first model in the series was the first-generation Galaxy Alpha, released on 31 October 2014.
Fol ...
*
Samsung Galaxy M series
The Samsung Galaxy M series is a line of online-exclusive budget smartphones manufactured by Samsung Electronics. The first models in the series, the Samsung Galaxy M10 and Samsung Galaxy M20, M20, were released on February 5, 2019; they were f ...
*
Samsung Galaxy Tab series
*
Samsung Galaxy Watch series
*
Lists of mobile computers
Lists of mobile computers
By product type
* Comparison of tablet computers
* Comparison of smartphones
* Comparison of e-readers
Lists that include currently available products
* List of open-source mobile phones
* List of iOS and iPadOS dev ...
References
External links
*
{{Samsung Electronics
Smartphones
Mobile phones introduced in 2009
Computer-related introductions in 2009
Products introduced in 2009
Consumer electronics brands
Samsung Galaxy
Samsung Galaxy (, stylised as SΛMSUNG Galaxy since 2015 (except Japan where it omits the Samsung branding), previously stylised as Samsung GALAXY; abbreviated as SG) is a series of computing and mobile computing devices that are designed, m ...
South Korean brands