Samsung Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy (; stylized as SΛMSUNG Galaxy since 2015 (except Japan where it omitted the Samsung branding up until 2023), previously stylized as Samsung GALAXY; abbreviated as SG) is a series of computing, Android mobile computing and wearable devices that are designed, manufactured and marketed by Samsung Electronics since 29 June 2009. The product line includes the Samsung Galaxy S series of high-end phones, Galaxy Z series and Samsung W Series of high-end foldables, Galaxy A series, Galaxy F series and Galaxy M series of mid-range phones, the Galaxy Book of laptops, the Samsung Galaxy Tab series, the Samsung Galaxy Watch series, the Galaxy Buds series and the Galaxy Fit, and the now historical Galaxy Note series of pioneering phablets.

Samsung Galaxy devices with a user interface called One UI (with previous versions being known as Samsung Experience and TouchWiz). However, the Galaxy TabPro S is the first Galaxy-branded Windows 10 device that was announced in CES 2016.

The Samsung Galaxy series is noteworthy for its pioneering role in bringing Android into mainstream popularity beginning in the early 2010s.

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 Galaxy Chromebook 2-in-1 laptop running ChromeOS to the Galaxy branding lineup. The follow-on Galaxy Chromebook 2 was released in 2021.

Definitions

Categories

Current series

* Galaxy Z series: high-end foldable phones/devices.
* Galaxy S series: flagship phones also serving as the successors to the cell phones, which from 2006 to 2009 were branded as Samsung Ultra Edition.
* Galaxy A series: mid-range phones, also includes entry-level phones, budget phones and formerly premium mid-range phones.
* Galaxy Buddy series: low-end devices based on the Galaxy A1x series sold primarily in South Korea by LG U+.
* Galaxy M series: a slightly more budget-friendly, online-exclusive alternative from the Galaxy A series.
* Galaxy F series: also a Galaxy A series alternative but sold in developing countries.
* Galaxy C series: premium mid-range versions of the Galaxy F series sold in Asian markets. They succeed the premium mid-range Galaxy A series devices.
* Galaxy XCover series: rugged business phones with low specifications.
* Galaxy Wide series: low-end devices based on Galaxy A, F and M series, sold primarily in South Korea by SK Telecom.
* Galaxy Quantum series: premium mid-range devices based on Galaxy A and M series (A71 5G, A82, M53, A54, A55) sold primarily in South Korea by SK Telecom.
* Samsung Galaxy Tab series: Divided into three series, Tab S: high-end to mid-range tablets; Tab A: mid-range to low-end tablets; and Tab Active: mid-range rugged tablets.
* Samsung Galaxy Watch series: Divided into three series, Galaxy Watch: base models; Galaxy Watch Classic: premium smartwatches; Galaxy Watch FE: affordable smartwatches based on older Galaxy Watch models.
* Galaxy Fit: fitness bands and activity trackers
* Galaxy Buds: wireless headphones
* Galaxy Book: lineup of laptops and 2-in-1 PCs running Windows
* Galaxy Chromebook: lineup of Chromebooks made by Samsung
* Samsung W series: High-end luxury-based foldable devices (based of Galaxy Z series), primarily sold in China.

Discontinued series

* Galaxy Jump: Mid-range devices based on select Galaxy M and Galaxy A models. Discontinued in 2023.
* Galaxy Note series: devices with a large screen and a built-in stylus, discontinued in 2022 and merged with the Z series and S Ultra models starting in 2021. While the S21 Ultra and Z Fold series support S Pen input, the S Pen is not included in packaging since there's no dedicated slot to put the pen inside, making the S Pen available as an optional accessory for these devices. Beginning with the S22 Ultra, Samsung would re-introduce the S Pen and the dedicated slot for its S Ultra models however, the Z Fold to this day does not include the S Pen or the integrated slot.
* Galaxy Watch Active: Variants of base model Galaxy Watches that focused more on fitness and wellness, merged with the base models in 2021 starting with the Galaxy Watch 4
* Galaxy J series: entry-level devices touted as a replacement for the Galaxy Core, Grand, E, Ace, Trend and Y lines, merged with the Galaxy A series and all models were discontinued in 2020.
* Galaxy On series: online-exclusive mid-range phones, discontinued in 2019 in favor for the Galaxy M series.
* Galaxy Gear series: lineup of wearable devices that included headsets, earbuds, smartwatches and activity trackers, headsets discontinued in 2017 and the rest of the product lineup was discontinued in 2019 in favor for the Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds and Galaxy Fit. The Galaxy branding was dropped in 2014 and this series was renamed to the Samsung Gear.
* Galaxy Grand series: mid-range devices, discontinued in 2016 as original models but continued production as rebranded models of Galaxy J series until the latter was merged with the Galaxy A series in 2019.
* Galaxy S Active: rugged versions of base-model S series, discontinued in 2018 and replaced by the Xcover family.
* Galaxy S Mini: mid-range versions of base-model S series, discontinued in 2014 and replaced by the Galaxy Alpha and later the Galaxy A series.
* Galaxy Neo models: refreshed versions of older Galaxy models with newer hardware but lower specs compared to the original models, discontinued in 2017 and succeeded by the Galaxy S10 Lite, Galaxy Note 10 Lite and Fan Edition ("FE") models beginning with the Galaxy Note 7 and Galaxy S20 FE.
* Previous Galaxy Tab devices: Galaxy Tab series sold before 2017 that included the Tab 7.0, Tab 8.9, Tab 10.1, Tab Education, Tab Pro, Tab Note and Tab E. Samsung streamlined the Galaxy Tab product family and these devices were succeeded by the Galaxy Book, Galaxy Tab A and Galaxy Tab S.
* Galaxy E series: low-end devices, discontinued in 2016 in favor for the Galaxy J series.
* Galaxy Core series: low-end devices, discontinued in 2016 in favor of Galaxy J series.
* Galaxy Trend series: low-end devices, discontinued in 2016 in favor for the Galaxy J series.
* Galaxy Mega series: large phablets that lacked the S Pen, replaced by Edge (and later Plus) models of the Galaxy S series starting with the S6 edge and S6 edge+.
* Galaxy Ace series: low-end to mid-range devices, discontinued in 2015 and replaced by the J series.
* Galaxy Y series: low-end devices, discontinued in 2015 in favor of the J series.
* Galaxy Pocket: small devices, discontinued in 2015.
* Galaxy Camera: camera phones, discontinued in 2014 and replaced by the Galaxy S4 Zoom, Galaxy S5 Zoom and Galaxy K Zoom. Samsung would later stop selling camera phones after 2015.
* Galaxy Beam: phones with built-in projectors, discontinued in 2014.
* Galaxy Mini: small devices, discontinued in 2013 and replaced by Galaxy Pocket series and Galaxy Y series.
* Galaxy R: mid-range devices, discontinued in 2012 and replaced by the Galaxy Grand family in April 2013.

Hierarchy

The hierarchy of Galaxy smartphone models as of 2025 looks like this:

# Galaxy S ("Ultra" and "Edge" models) and Galaxy Z ("Fold" model)
# Galaxy S (base and "+" models) and Galaxy Z ("Flip" model)
# Galaxy S ("FE" model)
# Galaxy A5x and Galaxy M5x/F5x
# Galaxy A3x and Galaxy M3x
# Galaxy A2x
# Galaxy A1x and M1x/F1x
# Galaxy A0x/M0x/F0x

Model numbers

Since September 2013, model numbers of devices in the Samsung Galaxy series are in the "SM-ABCDE" format (excluding the Galaxy J SC-02F, Galaxy Centura SCH-S738C, and SGH-N075T), where A is the model series, B is the device class, C is the generation, D is the device type, and E is the country/region that is made for (if applicable). Prior to September 2013, the model numbers were in the "GT-XXXXX" format; they were also in the "SCH-XXXX", "SGH-XXXX", "SPH-XXXX" and "SHV/SHW-XXXX" formats.

Phones

* SM-Sxxx – S series model from S22 and later (previously used on Galaxy S4/S5 for Tracfone) or TracFone Galaxy J series, A series or other handsets from TracFone
* SM-Fxxx – Z series model, and some older F series model
* SM-Gxxx – S series (S5 - S21 or select Galaxy S3 mini models), XCover model, Ace model, Grand model, Round, Core model, Trend model, Alpha, Wide, Mega 2, Pocket 2, Star 2, Young 2, On model and some J series ''Prime'' model or A series ''Star'' models
* SM-Nxxx – Note model
* SM-Jxxx – J series model
* SM-Axxx – A series model
* SM-Mxxx – M series model
* SM-Exxx – F series model and some E series model
* GT-Sxxx2/ SM-Gxxx/DS / SM-Gxxx/DD SM-Gxxx2 Dual-SIM "Galaxy Duos" model
* GT-Nxxx0/GT-Nxxx5 – Galaxy Note 1 and 2 (International 3G/4G, respectively)
* GT-Nxxx3 – Unlocked Galaxy Note 1 and 2 (US/Canada)
* GT-Ixxx0/GT-Ixxx5 – Galaxy S4 and earlier models (International 3G/4G LTE, respectively)
* GT-Ixxx3 – Unlocked Galaxy S4 and earlier models (US/Canada)
* SGH – GSM handset
* SPH – Sprint handset
* SCH – Verizon/US Cellular handset
* SHV/SHW – Korean handset

Tablets

* SM-Xxxx – Tab A and S models from A8, Active 5, S8 and later
* SM-Txx0/1/5/6 – mainstream Tab model (Tab 3 to Tab A7 Lite/Active4/S7)
* SM-Pxx0/5 – mainstream Tab with built-in S Pen stylus model (Note 10.1 2014, Tab A 10.1, etc.)
* SM-Wxxx – Microsoft Windows model (i.e., Galaxy Book)
* GT-Nxx00/GT-Pxx20 – older mainstream Tab with built-in S Pen stylus model (Note 8.0 and 10.1, 3G/4G LTE respectively)
* GT-Nxx13 – older mainstream Tab with built-in S Pen stylus model (Note 8.0 and 10.1, US/Canada Wi-Fi)
* GT-Nxx10 – older mainstream Tab with built-in S Pen stylus model (Note 8.0 and 10.1, International Wi-Fi)
* GT-Pxx00/GT-Pxx20 – older mainstream Tab model (Tab 1 to Tab 3, 3G/4G LTE respectively)
* GT-Pxx13 – older mainstream Tab model (Tab 1 to Tab 3, US/Canada Wi-Fi)
* GT-Pxx10 – older mainstream Tab model (Tab 1 to Tab 3, International Wi-Fi)
* GT-Snnn5/GT-Nnnn5/GT-Pnnn5/GT-Innn5/SM-NnnnF/SM-Tnn5/SM-GnnnF – 4G/LTE model

Regions

* A: AT&T
* AZ: Cricket
* P: Sprint, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile
* R4: UScellular
* T: T-Mobile
* T1: Metro by T-Mobile (formerly MetroPCS)
* V: Verizon
* U: USA carrier locked
* U1: USA factory unlocked
* S: SK Telecom
* K: KT
* L: LG Uplus
* D: NTT Docomo
* J: au by KDDI
* Z: SoftBank Mobile
* Q: Japan factory unlocked
* N: Korea
* W: Canada
* E: Asian
* M: Latin America
* 0: China mainland (phones)
* C: China mainland (tablets) and Rakuten Mobile (Japan)
* B: International 5G
* F: International 4G/LTE
* H: International 3G
* X: Live Demo Unit
Duos or Dual SIM models end with the /DS suffix.

Firmware numbering

The following is a list of known firmware regions.

Korea

* KS: Korea (phones)
* KO: Korea (cellular tablets)
* XX: All Wi-Fi tablets

India

* IN: India (all phones)

Americas

* SQ: USA (carrier locked phones)
* UE: USA (carrier unlocked phones and Wi-Fi tablets), Canada (Wi-Fi tablets)
* VL: Canada (all variants except Wi-Fi tablets)
* UB: Latin America & Caribbean
* XX: All Wi-Fi tablets

China

* ZC: China mainland (all devices)
* ZH: Hong Kong/Taiwan (all phones)
* XX: Hong Kong/Taiwan (all tablets)

Background

The Samsung Galaxy was launched in June 2009 as Samsung's first Android powered device. At the time, the brand's flagship smartphone was the Samsung Omnia and its successor, powered by Windows Mobile. Omnia had been the second full-touch Samsung device running the TouchWiz user interface (after the Tocco), but the Galaxy had an unmodified Android interface; the TouchWiz UI made its way to the Galaxy series with the Galaxy S. The Galaxy S and its successor Galaxy S II became very successful, eclipsing the company's other lines and operating systems. During the decade, the Galaxy phones "became the company's most-praised products ndalso were among the best-selling smartphones in the world."

Devices

Phones

Samsung Galaxy S series

The Galaxy S series is Samsung's flagship line of high-end smartphones. Since 2022, the Ultra model has been targeted towards power-users, replacing the Note series that was aimed towards the same demographic. The latest models, the Galaxy S25, S25+, and S25 Ultra, were released in January 2025 while the Galaxy S25 Edge was released in May 2025.

Samsung Galaxy Z series

The Galaxy Z series is Samsung's line of high-end foldable smartphones, which debuted in 2019 with the Galaxy Z Fold. The latest models, the Galaxy Z Flip6 and the Galaxy Z Fold6, were released in July 2024.

Samsung Galaxy A series

The Galaxy A series is Samsung's line of low-end to mid-range smartphones sold since 2014 (and formerly premium mid-range from its introduction until 2021), providing a more affordable alternative to the high-end Galaxy S series or Fan Edition devices the with reduced specifications and features. The latest models, the Galaxy A06 and A16, were released in October 2024 while the A26, A36 and A56 were released in March 2025.

Samsung Galaxy C series

The Galaxy C series is a line of mid-range devices which as of 2025 is only sold in China. The latest device released under this line is the Samsung Galaxy C55 5G.

Samsung Galaxy M series

The Galaxy M series is an online-exclusive, low-end to mid-range smartphones, considered the successor to the Galaxy J and Galaxy On series.

Samsung Galaxy F series

The Galaxy F series is an online-exclusive, low-end to mid-range smartphones sold alongside the M series.

Galaxy XCover series

The Galaxy XCover series is a line of rugged "business" phones, which have low-end specifications but with stronger build quality and durability. The latest in common is the Galaxy Xcover 7.

Discontinued lines

Samsung released multiple series of smartphones, often overlapping with each other. Most of these series were dropped.

* The Galaxy Note series was a line of high-end devices primarily oriented towards pen computing using Samsung's S Pen. The line was replaced by the Galaxy S Ultra series and Z series starting in 2021 (with the Galaxy S21 Ultra, with the S Pen being an accessory, and the Galaxy S22 Ultra, which brought back the integrated pen and pen slot).
* The Galaxy Core/Grand series is a line of mid-range devices released between 2013 and 2015. The line was replaced by the J and A series.
* The Galaxy J 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 Galaxy Mega 2.
* The Galaxy On series was a line of online-exclusive phones. The series was replaced by the Galaxy M series.
* The Galaxy Pocket series was last updated in 2014 with the Galaxy Pocket 2.
* The Galaxy Mini series was last updated in 2012 with the Galaxy Mini 2.
* The Galaxy Trend series was last updated in 2015 with the Galaxy Trend 2 Lite.
* The Galaxy Ace series was last updated in 2014 with the Galaxy Ace 4.
* The Galaxy R series was last updated in 2012 with the Galaxy R Style.
* The Galaxy Young series is a low-end line. It was last updated in 2014 with the Galaxy Young 2.
* The Galaxy E series was a more affordable alternative to the 2015 A series last updated in 2015

Other phones

Tablets

Samsung Galaxy Tab series

The Galaxy Tab series is a line of Android-powered tablets that debuted in 2010. There are two sub-categories currently under this series:

* The Galaxy Tab S is a line of mid-range to high-end tablets, with a focus on productivity and pen computing. The Galaxy Tab S10+ and S10 Ultra are the latest devices, released in September 2024.
* The Galaxy Tab Active is a line of mid-range rugged tablets, with a focus on durability and use in extreme environments. The Galaxy Tab Active 5 is the latest 8" model, released in January 2024.
* The Galaxy Tab A is a line of low-end tablets. The Galaxy Tab A9 and A9+ are the latest models, released in 2023.

Wearables

Smartwatches

Samsung announced the 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 Watch branding. The Gear series was later succeeded by the 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 One UI, which is running on newer Galaxy devices released after 2019, is available to Galaxy Watch on 20 May 2019.

After the release of the Galaxy Watch Series, Samsung transitioned from Tizen to Google's WearOS with their Galaxy Watch4. The latest release of Galaxy Watch is the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Watch7.

Activity trackers

Samsung announced the Galaxy Fit, an activity tracker positioned below the Galaxy Watch line. The first iteration was released on 2019. Samsung later announced the Galaxy Fit2, which is a follow-up of their first tracker from 2019. In 2024, Samsung would once again announce a new device in the Fit Line, known as the Fit3.

Wireless earbuds

Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds, which is the new replacement to the Gear IconX.. The first iteration was released on 20 February 2019. Subsequent Galaxy Buds iterations will be revealed during the Galaxy Unpacked event annually.

Laptops and convertibles

The Galaxy brand is also extended in laptops, notebooks, and 2-in-1 convertibles. The Galaxy Book consists of products based on Microsoft Windows, while the Galaxy Chromebook line is based on ChromeOS.

Other

Media player

* Samsung Galaxy Player

Cameras

* Samsung Galaxy Camera
* Samsung Galaxy Camera 2
* Samsung Galaxy NX

Projectors

* Samsung Galaxy Beam i8520
* Samsung Galaxy Beam i8530

Software

Samsung Galaxy smartphones run the Android operating system under the Google Mobile Services platform, however Samsung and third-parties have bundled various other software in them too. The TouchWiz interface was used until 2017, replaced by Samsung Experience. This was then replaced by One UI in 2019.

The company has created many apps and services under the Galaxy brand specifically for these devices - many of which come preloaded - including the Galaxy Store which provides apps and customizations. Since late 2019, several Microsoft apps like Outlook also come preloaded on Galaxy as a result of a Samsung-Microsoft partnership.

Interoperability

Samsung have made several tools for making various Galaxy devices like phones, tablets and watches, work closer together. Samsung Flow is a feature allowing content to be synced with a PC, such as notifications, replying to messages and authenticating from a PC, and sharing content. It was announced in November 2014, released in a preview form in May 2015 and final released in May 2016. Microsoft's Phone Link also comes on Galaxy smartphones since 2019.

Another feature named Multi Control allows controlling of a Galaxy smartphone with a Galaxy Book keyboard and mouse, and drag and drop files between them. Device Control is another feature in the quick panel that can control SmartThings and other devices.

Release history

The following is a table showing the full initial release history of every Galaxy device since 2009.

Region locking and CSC codes

Starting from the 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 Galaxy S8 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. 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, 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. The sound has been covered by various popular artists who have released their own arrangements and remixes of the song, such as Quincy Jones, Icona Pop, Suga of BTS, and various K-pop 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
* Comparison of smartphones
* Samsung Galaxy Z series
* Samsung Galaxy S series
* Samsung Galaxy Note series
* Samsung Galaxy A series
* Samsung Galaxy M series
* Samsung Galaxy J series
* Samsung Galaxy Tab series
* Samsung Galaxy Watch series
* Lists of mobile computers
* Samsung Galaxy W Series

References

External links

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{{Samsung Electronics

Samsung smartphones
Mobile phones introduced in 2009
Computer-related introductions in 2009
Products introduced in 2009
Consumer electronics brands
Samsung Galaxy
South Korean brands