The company announced the Samsung Galaxy S II on February 13, 2011. 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, and also became one of the most sold S series phone.[2] Key features introduced on the device include split-screen multitasking,[3] video player with pop-up window,[4] "Ambient Light" setting that adjusts screen brightness, and a "Smart Stay" feature that keeps the screen on when looking at the phone.[5] It was also the first Samsung phone with wireless charging support that can be enabled using a special back cover that connects to dedicated pins under the rear cover.[6]
The Samsung Galaxy S4 was announced by Samsung on March 14, 2013. More than 80 million units of the Galaxy S4 were sold, making it one of the best selling S series phones.[7] Some of the highlighted features mostly include the Air Gestures (using the device's proximity and light sensors)[8][9][10][11][12][13] and an IR blaster.[14][15] 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,[16] while others criticized it as feature creep.[17]
Other variants of the device are the rugged and water-resistant S4 Active, the lower-priced mid-class S4 Mini, as well as the hybrid 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 February 24, 2014, offering improvements over its predecessor including a heart rate monitor,[18] IP67 water resistance,[19] a fingerprint scanner,[20] 4K video recording,[21]phase-detection autofocus plus enhanced low-light photography,[22] a "Download Booster" feature,[23] and USB 3.0.[24] 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.
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. It also the last mobile phone in the Galaxy S series with a micro-SIM card (later phones use a nano-SIM card[25][26]) and a user-replaceable battery.
Since the Galaxy S5, the model number (e.g. SM-G900F) is no longer displayed on the boot screen.[27]
The Samsung Galaxy S6 series was first announced on 1 March 2015 with the release of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. It marks a counter-utilitarian and fashion-oriented course in the Galaxy S series as it debuted with a new metal and glass build.[28] The Galaxy S6 series improves upon its predecessors by adding the ability to quickly charge the phone with up to 15W using Qualcomm's Quick Charge 2.0,[29] virtual reality (compatible with the Galaxy Gear VR), a "Smart Manager" feature,[30] and the ability to customize the interface with themes.[31] There were also other variants that were released under the S6 series, which includes the Galaxy S6 Active (first released on 12 June 2015), and the Galaxy S6 edge+ (first released on 13 August 2015, along with the Galaxy Note5).
The phone marked its several firsts within the series. It introduced features such as OIS, quick launch to open Camera, and a Slow Motion Video Mode. But it is also the first device to remove the microSD card slot, Mobile High-Definition Link (MHL) support, water protection, Air Gestures, 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".[32][33] 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.[34]
The Samsung Galaxy S7 series was first announced on 21 February 2016, with the release of the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. It introduced new features such as adding an always-on display feature,[35] "Dual Pixel" camera feature for faster autofocus,[36] and improved low-light photography.[37] Water resistance (IP68) and a microSD card reader were returned,[38][39] both of which had been present on the Galaxy S5, but neither present on the Galaxy S6. However, the IR blaster was removed from the Galaxy S7.[40] Another variant under this lineup, the Galaxy S7 active, was released on 6 June 2016.
Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S8 series smartphones on 27 March 2017. They feature an iris scanner, which would be the first of the two S series devices to feature this. 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 replaced on the Galaxy S8 (18.5:9) 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. Another variant under this lineup, the Galaxy S8 active, was released on 7 November 2017.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 series 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. It 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.[42][43] 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.[44][45] 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.[46]
Samsung announced the Galaxy S10 series on 20 February 2019 to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the S Series lineup. It 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. The aspect ratio was changed again on the Galaxy S10 series from the Galaxy S8 series, which now features a 19:9 display. For the first time since the Galaxy S5, the series reverts back to using plastic for the back panel which would also later be seen on the A series and the base Galaxy Note that same year. The only exceptions are the Plus models and the S10 5G which still have a glass back panel. The charging rates above 15W supported by the S10 5G and S10 Lite are the first increase on Samsung flagship smartphones since the 2014 Samsung Galaxy Note 4.[47]
The Samsung Galaxy S10+
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, taller display and a redesigned rear camera setup which ditches the center positioning used since the Galaxy S II in 2011.
Samsung announced the Galaxy S20 series on 11 February 2020. On 23 September 2020, the 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 Galaxy S20 Tactical Edition, intended for military use. The Galaxy S20 series featured 120Hz 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. For the first time on the series, all models are not equipped with a 3.5mm audio connector (coll. "headphone jack").[48] Its predecessor, the Galaxy S10 series, removed the headphone jack on the 5G and Lite variants, but it was kept on the S10e, base S10 and S10+. On an earlier keynote, Samsung mocked the lack thereof of the Apple iPhone 7 on stage.[49] This is also the first S series to use plastic on all models unlike its predecessor which kept the glass back panel for the Plus and 5G models.
Samsung announced the Galaxy S21 series on 14 January 2021. They are the first S series lineup to feature 5G models only during launch. On 4 January 2022, the 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 Galaxy S6 series, the Galaxy S10 Lite and the Plus and 5G/Ultra models for the S10 and S20. Like its predecessor, the S21 lacks a headphone jack.[50]
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 10–120Hz. 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 Galaxy S22 series on 9 February 2022. This is the only Galaxy S series lineup (from S20 onwards) to not have a FE version, while its successors have a FE variant (albeit released later than the main devices).
The Galaxy S22 series changed the aspect ratio once again to 19.5:9. The series added glass backs which was lacking on the S10-S21 series, 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 and it saw the introduction of the built in S Pen which was not present on the Galaxy S21 Ultra. The S22 Ultra also upgraded the adaptiveness of the refresh rate from 10–120Hz to 1–120Hz.
Both the S22+ and S22 Ultra got upgrades in the charging speed from 25W to 45W. The S22+ and S22 Ultra also got improvements on the display brightness to 1750 nits. Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus+ also saw an introduction to the S22 series.
Samsung announced the Galaxy S23 series on 1 February 2023. In 4 October 2023, the Galaxy S23 FE was released, a mid-range variant of the S23 containing similar cameras and performance but with less functionality. The first three devices would only be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset (on all variants sold globally), a first for the series (all of its predecessors would either have a Samsung Exynos chipset or a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, which varies by country).
Like its predecessor, 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. 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 phones are launched with Android 13 and Samsung's One UI 5.1 software.
Samsung announced the Galaxy S25 series on 22 January 2025. Other variants of the device include the Galaxy S25 Edge (announced on 13 May 2025), and the Galaxy S25 FE (announced on 4 September 2025).
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 QXGA 1536x2048 pixel resolution
↑ Hamblen, Matt (April 20, 2015). "Samsung expects 70M Galaxy S6 and Edge phones to be sold". Computerworld. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved September 5, 2025. The 70 million in sales for (Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge) would compare to reported sales of 70 million for each of the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy S4 phones.
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