The series consisted initially of smartphones and the first device, the Samsung Galaxy S, was announced in March 2010 and released for sale in June of that year. Samsung later expanded the Galaxy S line to tablet computers with the announcement of the Galaxy Tab S in June 2014 and released the next month. The Samsung Galaxy Tab series is the related tablet line.
The Samsung Galaxy S logo until 2015; a different font was used for "Samsung" beginning with the release of the Samsung Galaxy S4 in 2013
In 2013, a "Plus" variant was released with only 8GB of internal storage and slightly different chipset. It also features the TouchWiz "Nature UX" user interface, and the brushed dark blue colour variant ("Pebble Blue"), both known from the Galaxy S III.
The Samsung Galaxy S III was announced on May 3, 2012. More than 70 million units of the Galaxy S III were sold, making it the one of the most sold S series phone. It features a split-screen feature whereby users can use two apps simultaneously (available from Android 4.1 up to 4.4.2 "Premium Suite Upgrade"),[1] an upgraded video player software which is first able to play in a movable and re-sizeable pop-up window for simultaneous watching during other tasks, and with motion thumbnails that can preview playing videos rather than only a static image,[2] an "Ambient Light" feature whereby the screen brightness can automatically adjust to the light level, a "Smart Stay" feature that can prevent the phone's screen from turning off by looking at the phone,[3] a personal assistant called S Voice,[4] the ability to tag faces in the phone's gallery,[5] an "S Beam" feature to transfer files via NFC,[6] an LED light on the front of the phone that can be used for notifications, a "Motion Gestures" feature whereby users can accomplish tasks by moving the phone,[7] color point effects for the camera,[8] and "smart alert" – an optional haptic feedback notification which vibrates the unit when picked up to notify the user.[9]
The Galaxy S III is the first Samsung mobile phone with wireless charging support that can be enabled using a special back cover that connects to dedicated pins under the rear cover.[10]
Like its predecessor, its rear camera has eight megapixels (3264×2448) and 1080p video recording, though the S3 adds stereo audio recording, as well as the ability to simultaneously capture 6 megapixel (3264×1836) photos while filming, which is the image sensor's highest 16:9 aspect ratio crop. The front camera's video resolution has increased from 480p to 720p.[11] No megapixel label is present like on the predecessor.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 was announced by Samsung on 14 March 2013. More than 80 million units of the Galaxy S4 were sold, making it the one of the most sold S series phone.[12]
With Android 4.2.2, current 5.0.2.
New features that this model has compared to its predecessor include:
the ability to capture photos and record video simultaneously from both rear and front cameras, though stored picture-in-picture rather than in separate video tracks within a file or separate files; the camera order can be swapped while recording.[30][31]
A "remote viewfinder" feature, where the camera viewfinder and controls can be cast to a different unit through Wi-Fi Direct.[32]
"Quick glance", which allows checking the clock, missed calls, messages, and notification bar without touching the phone, by hovering above the proximity sensor.[33]
The Galaxy S4 is one of only two Samsung mobile phones to be equipped with thermometer and hygrometer sensors (the other being the Galaxy Note 3).
Some praised the innovation inherent in all of the Galaxy S4's new features,[34] while others criticized it as feature creep.[35]
The resolution of the main (rear) camera was increased to 13 megapixels, and it is able to capture 9.6 megapixel photographs during video recording at 1080p. The front camera has 2.1 megapixels and its video resolution was increased to 1080p. Optional location-based contextual file names can facilitate later browsing.[36][37]
Its variants are the rugged and water-resistant S4 Active, the lower-priced mid-class S4 Mini, as well as the hybrid Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, which is equipped with an optical zoom lens with 10× magnification, more powerful Xenon flash, tripod mount, and rotary knob lens ring, combining a mobile phone with a dedicated digital camera.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 was announced on 24 February 2014. It improves upon the Galaxy S4 by adding a heart rate monitor,[38] IP67 water resistance,[39] a fingerprint scanner,[40] the ability to record 4K videos (2160p at 30fps) and 1080p at twice the frame rate (60 fps),[41]phase-detection autofocus which is faster than previously used contrast detection, the ability to take better photos in low light levels,[42] a "Download Booster" feature to increase download levels to the maximum bandwidth allowed,[43] the ability to restrict the usage of battery by limiting the phone's usage,[44] and USB 3.0.[45] It lacks the thermometer (temperature) sensor, hygrometer (humidity) sensor, and "Story Album" features from the preceding Galaxy S4, but largely inherited Air View and gesture-related functionality. "Quick glance" was replaced with "Air wake-up", which allows waking up the smartphone from stand-by mode by hovering over the proximity sensor.
Camera: Back: 16 megapixels, 1x, 3840x2160p (4K UHD) video at 30 fps, 1080p (Full HD) at 60 fps or slow-motion 720p (HD)at 120 fps; Front: 2 megapixels, 1080p (Full HD) at 30 fps
Battery: 2800 mAh (user-replaceable)
The Galaxy S5 is the first Samsung mobile phone where the touch key on the left side of the home button is a task key instead of an option key, and the last mobile phone in the Galaxy S series to be equipped with a user-replaceable battery.
The Galaxy S5 is the last mobile phone in the Galaxy S series with a micro-SIM card; later phones use a nano-SIM card.[46][47]
Since the Galaxy S5, the model number (e.g. SM-G900F) is no longer displayed on the boot screen.[48]
The Samsung Galaxy S6 series marks a counter-utilitarian and fashion-oriented course in the Galaxy S series. It consists of four phones: the Samsung Galaxy S6, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active. Samsung first announced the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge on 1 March 2015. On 13 August 2015, Samsung announced the Galaxy S6 edge+, along with the Galaxy Note5. The Galaxy S6 series improves upon its predecessors by adding the ability to quickly charge the phone with up to 15 watts using Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0,[49] virtual reality (compatible with the Galaxy Gear VR), a "Smart Manager" feature,[50] and the ability to customize the interface with themes.[51] It also features a new metal and glass build.
Feature removals
The Galaxy S6 series removes several features, including some long-term key features, from its predecessors, such as the microSD card slot, Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) support, water protection, Air Gesture control, Air View, Smart Pause, Smart Rotation, Smart Scroll, the one-handed operation mode, increased sensitivity of the capacitive touch screen for use with gloves, and USB 3.0 support. In addition, the batteries in the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are smaller than the battery in the Galaxy S5, and are not replaceable by end users.
Justin Denison, then vice president of product strategy at Samsung, stated on stage at the Unpacked 2015 Episode 1 keynote event that they had opted for a built-in battery now that "consumers could feel confident in charging their phones".[52][53] The previous year, a Samsung commercial for the Galaxy S5 had mocked the iPhones' non-replaceable batteries, referring to iPhone users as "wall huggers", citing their incessant dependence on wall charging.[54]
Camera
It is the first main model phone to feature optical image stabilization on the rear camera and also improves upon it with the brighter f/1.9 aperture that enables improved low-light performance for both photography and video recording, the first Samsung phone with a dedicated camera quick launcher (home button double-press) and also the first Samsung flagship device to capture slow motion video with audio and original framerate (120 frames per second) which can be edited in a precluded editor software accessible through the gallery software.[55]
Other
The Galaxy S6 is the first mobile phone in the Galaxy S series with a nano-SIM card; earlier Galaxy phones use a micro-SIM card or "standard" (mini-SIM) card.[46][47]
The S6 Edge Plus, being released simultaneously with the Galaxy Note 5, is not equipped with an infrared transmitter for use as a remote control.
Display: 5.1" Super AMOLED (Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge); 5.7" Super AMOLED (Galaxy S6 edge+)
The Samsung Galaxy S7 series, which consists of the Samsung Galaxy S7, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge and the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, was announced on 21 February 2016. They improve upon the Galaxy S6 by adding an always-on display to optionally show information while the screen is off,[56] a "Dual Pixel" camera feature for faster autofocus,[57] and improved low-light photography.[58]
Water resistance and a microSD card reader were added back,[59][60] both of which had been present on the Galaxy S5, and the latter also on all earlier iterations of the Galaxy S line, but neither present on the Galaxy S6. However, the IR blaster was removed from the Galaxy S7.[61] A single-handed operation mode was added back after removal on the S6, but without on-screen buttons and shortcuts present on the S5.
Camera
The camera in the Galaxy S7 has 12 megapixels,[62] down from the Galaxy S6's 16 megapixels to achieve a larger pixel size on the image sensor, enabling it to capture more light under the same conditions.
Its rear camera aperture of f/1.7 was the then brightest aperture on any mobile phone camera.
Its front camera, although having the same resolution as the Galaxy S6's one (2592×1944 photo; 2560×1440p video), has a brighter f/1.7 aperture as well, compared to the f/1.9 on the Galaxy S6.
The five-minute time limitation for 2160p video present in preceding devices has been removed.[63]
Storage
In the United States and some European markets, only the lowest storage option of 32 GB was shipped, meaning that the internal storage capacity has only doubled in the seven years since the 2009 Samsung i8000 Omnia II flagship which available with up to 16 GB.[64]
Display: 5.1" Super AMOLED (Galaxy S7); 5.5" Super AMOLED (Galaxy S7 edge)
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Samsung Galaxy S8+ smartphones on 27 March 2017. They feature an iris scanner, which was not present on the Galaxy S7 phones. S Voice has also been replaced by Bixby. In addition, the microUSB port has been replaced by a USB-C 3.0 port, and the physical home button and capacitive buttons have been replaced by on-screen keys. All previous galaxy S series smartphones featured a 16:9 aspect ratio which was changed on the Galaxy S8 for the first time. A new feature called Samsung DeX was added, allowing the phone to get a desktop user interface when plugged in a monitor.
Display: 5.8" Super AMOLED (Galaxy S8); 6.2" Super AMOLED (Galaxy S8+), 18.5:9 aspect ratio
The Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ were unveiled on 25 February 2018 at the Mobile World Congress, with an improved camera, redesigned back panel and improved internals. The fingerprint scanner on the back is relocated to below the rear-facing camera, and the earpiece becomes an additional speaker for stereo sound.
The Galaxy S9 is the first flagship phone by Samsung to support recording 2160p (4K) at 60 frames per second (twice as much as the preceding Galaxy S5 to S8), 1080p at 240 frames per second (four times as much as the S5 to S8) and super slow motion at 960 frames per second for a limited duration.[65][66] The first two frame rates are the first increase in the series since the 2014 Samsung Galaxy S5.
Its camera has a variable aperture which can switch between f/1.5 and f/2.4, making it the first mobile phone since the 2009 Nokia N86 with a variable aperture camera.[67][68] A subsequent software update retrofitted the feature of warning the user about flaws in photographs such as blinking eyes and blur, which was first implemented on the Galaxy Note 9.[69]
Display: 5.8" Super AMOLED (Galaxy S9); 6.2" Super AMOLED (Galaxy S9+), 18.5:9 aspect ratio
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S10 series, consisting of the Samsung Galaxy S10e, Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S10+ and Samsung Galaxy S10 5G On 20 February 2019 to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the S Series lineup . The Galaxy S10 series introduced many new features such as an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner, ultra wide lens, reverse wireless charging, 5G and Samsung's first hole-punch selfie camera design. The Galaxy S10 series debuted the One UI software for the first time with Android 9 Pie. In January 2020, the Galaxy S10 Lite was released, a mid-range variant of the S10 containing the same cameras and performance but with lower features. The aspect ratio was changed again on the Galaxy S10 series from the Galaxy S8 series. The Galaxy S10 Lite featured a 20:9 aspect ratio differing from the rest of the Galaxy S10 series.
The charging rates above 15 watts supported by the S10 5G and S10 Lite are the first increase on Samsung flagship smartphones since the 2014 Samsung Galaxy Note 4.[70]
Camera: Back: 48 megapixels (wide), 1x, 12 megapixels (ultra wide), 0.5x, 5 megapixels (macro), 1x; 3840x2160p (4K UHD) video at 30/60 fps, 1080p (Full HD) at 30/60 fps or slow-motion 1080p at 240 fps; Front: 32 megapixels, 1080p (Full HD) at 30fps
Battery: 4,500 mAh (non-replaceable)
Introduced Features: Optical Fingerprint Sensor, Triple Rear Cameras, Infinity-O Display, HDR10+ Video Recording, 25 W Super Fast Charging, Macro Camera Lens, Wi-fi 6
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, consisting of the Samsung Galaxy S20, Samsung Galaxy S20+ and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, on 11 February 2020. In October 2020, the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE was released, a mid-range variant of the S20 containing similar cameras and performance but with less functionality. Another variant is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Tactical Edition, intended for military use. The Galaxy S20 series featured 120 Hz refresh rate displays with 20:9 aspect ratio.
The S20 series are the first Samsung mobile phones with 8K video recording (7680×4320p), excluding the S20 FE.
Camera: Back: 12 megapixels (wide), 1x, 64 megapixels (telephoto), 3x, 12 megapixels (ultrawide), 0.6x; 7680x4320 (8K) at 24 fps, 3840x2160p (4K UHD) video at 30/60 fps, 1080p (Full HD) at 30/60 fps, slow-motion 1080p at 240 fps or slow-motion 720p (HD) at 960 fps; Front: 10 megapixels, 3840x2160p (4K UHD) at 30/60 fps, 1080p (Full HD) at 30 fps
Battery: 4,000 mAh
Introduced Features: 8K Video Recording, 120 Hz refresh rate, Triple Rear Cameras, Infinity-O Display, HDR10+ Video Recording, USB 3.2, 5G Connectivity, 25 W Super Fast Charging
Camera: Back: 12 megapixels (wide), 1x, 64 megapixels (telephoto), 3x, 12 megapixels (ultrawide), 0.6x, ToF (time-of-flight); 7680x4320 (8K) at 24 fps, 3840x2160p (4K UHD) video at 30/60 fps, 1080p (Full HD) at 30/60 fps, slow-motion 1080p at 240 fps or slow-motion 720p (HD) at 960 fps; Front: 10 megapixels, 3840x2160p (4K UHD) at 30/60 fps, 1080p (Full HD) at 30 fps
Battery: 4,500 mAh (non-replaceable)
Introduced Features: 8K Video Recording, 120 Hz refresh rate, Quad Rear Cameras, 3D Depth Camera, Infinity-O Display, HDR10+ Video Recording, USB 3.2, 5G Connectivity, 25 W Super Fast Charging
Camera: Back: 108 megapixels (wide), 1x, 48 megapixels (telephoto), 3x, 12 megapixels (ultrawide), 0.6x, ToF (time-of-flight); 7680x4320 (8K) at 24 fps, 3840x2160p (4K UHD) video at 30/60 fps, 1080p (Full HD) at 30/60 fps, slow-motion 1080p at 240 fps or slow-motion 720p (HD) at 960 fps; Front: 40 megapixels, 3840x2160p (4K UHD) at 30/60 fps, 1080p (Full HD) at 30 fps
Battery: 5000mAh (typical)
Introduced Features: 8K Video Recording, 120 Hz refresh rate, Triple Rear Cameras, 3D Depth Camera, Infinity-O Display, HDR10+ Video Recording, USB 3.2, 5G Connectivity, 45W Super Fast Charging
Network & Connectivity: 5G- 5G Non-Standalone (NSA), Standalone (SA), Sub6 / mmWave, LTE-Enhanced 4x4 MIMO, Up to 7CA, LTE Cat.20
Up to 2.0Gbps Download / Up to 150Mbps Upload, Wi-Fi-Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4G+5 GHz, HE80, MIMO, 1024-QAM Up to 1.2Gbps Download / Up to 1.2Gbps Upload, Bluetooth- Bluetooth® v 5.0, ANT+, USB type-C, NFC, Location (GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S21 series, consisting of the Samsung Galaxy S21 , Samsung Galaxy S21+ and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, on 14 January 2021. They are the first S Series Lineup to feature 5G models only during launch. On 4 January 2022, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE was released, a mid-range variant of the S21 containing similar cameras and performance but with lower features.
These smartphones lack the microSD expandable storage previously featured on the entire Galaxy S series except the 2015 S6, and are, for the first time in the series, not equipped with a 3.5mm audio connector (coll. "headphone jack"). On an earlier keynote, a Samsung representative mocked the lack thereof of the Apple iPhone 7 on stage.[73]
This was the first S-series phone to get support for the "S-Pen" stylus on the S21 Ultra, which was an exclusive feature for the Note series, though the S21 Ultra lacks the Note's compartment to house the stylus inside the unit. The series also feature an adaptive refresh rate that could go from 10–120 Hz. The S21 series also drops MST technology previously used for Samsung Pay which gave Galaxy phones the ability to pay without needing NFC.
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S22 series, consisting of the Samsung Galaxy S22, Samsung Galaxy S22+ and Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, on 9 February 2022. The Galaxy S22 series changed the aspect ratio once again to 19.5:9. The Galaxy S22 and S22+ added glass backs which was lacking on the S21 and S21+, the frames were also flattened similar to the iPhone 12 series. The Galaxy S22 Ultra had a huge design change which gave it a more similar look to the Galaxy Note20 Ultra rather than the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The S22 Ultra saw the introduction of the built in S Pen which was not present on the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The S22 Ultra also changed the adaptiveness of the refresh rate from 10–120 Hz to 1–120 Hz. Both the S22+ and S22 Ultra got upgrades in the charging speed from 25 watts to 45 watts. The S22+ and S22 Ultra also got improvements on the display brightness to 1750 nits. Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus+ also saw a new introduction to the S22 series.
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S23 series, consisting of the Samsung Galaxy S23, Samsung Galaxy S23+ and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, on 1 February 2023. In October 2023, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE was released, a mid-range variant of the S23 containing similar cameras and performance but with less functionality.The previous Galaxy S22 series and the Galaxy S23 series share the same lineup and screen sizes. The new Galaxy S23 models are equipped with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display featuring HDR10+ support, dynamic tone mapping technology, and a peak brightness of 1750 nits. All models incorporate an ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint sensor. The Samsung Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip, which includes an Octa-Core CPU, an Adreno 740 GPU, and a Qualcomm X10 modem for connectivity. The Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra come with non-removable Li-ion batteries with capacities of 3,900 mAh, 4,700 mAh, and 5,000 mAh respectively.[75] The S23 supports USB-C wired charging at up to 25W using USB Power Delivery, while the S23+ and S23 Ultra offer faster 45W charging. All three models feature Qi inductive charging up to 15W and Wireless PowerShare, which enables the phones to charge other Qi-compatible devices from their own batteries at up to 4.5W. The Samsung Galaxy S23 phones are launched with Android 13 and Samsung's One UI 5.1 software.
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, consisting of the Samsung Galaxy S24, Samsung Galaxy S24+ and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, on 17 January 2024.
the first generation Galaxy Tab, The Samsung Galaxy Tab S was announced on 12 June 2014. The tablet comes in two sizes, a 8.4-inch version and a 10.5-inch version.
Display: 8.4" Super AMOLED display with 1600x2560 pixel resolution (8.4-inch version); 10.5" Super AMOLED display with 1600x2560 pixel resolution (10.5-inch version)
Samsung announced the Galaxy Tab S3 on 26 February 2017. Unlike the Galaxy Tab S and Galaxy Tab S2, the Galaxy Tab S3 only comes in one size, a 9.7-inch model.
Display: 9.7" Super AMOLED display with 1536x2048 pixel resolution
