Samsung Galaxy

Samsung Galaxy (Korean: 삼성 갤럭시; 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 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.
The main 2024 lineup of Galaxy smartphone models looks like this:
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). Previously, from 2009 until September 2013, the model numbers were in the "GT-XXXXX" format.
Duos or Dual SIM models end with the /DS suffix.
The following is a list of known firmware regions.
The original 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 Google 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 [and] also were among the best-selling smartphones in the world."
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.
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.
The Galaxy A series is Samsung's line of low- 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.
The Galaxy C series is a line of mid-range devices for specific markets. The latest device released under this line is the Samsung Galaxy C55.
The Galaxy M series is an online-exclusive, low- to mid-range smartphones, considered the successor to the Galaxy J and Galaxy On series.
The Galaxy F series is an online-exclusive, low- to mid-range smartphones sold alongside the M 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.
Samsung released multiple series of smartphones, often overlapping with each other. Most of these series were dropped.
The Galaxy Tab series is a line of Android-powered tablets that debuted in 2010. There are two sub-categories currently under this series:
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 Gear 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The following is a table showing the full initial release history of every Galaxy device since 2009.
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:
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" 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".