Samsung Overview Updated May 21, 2021

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May 2011 - March 2023

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Samsung is a technology conglomerate based out of South Korea that is responsible for some of the most popular smartphones in the world, including the Galaxy S and Galaxy A series devices. Beyond smartphones, Samsung also manufactures and sells laptops, wearables, home appliances, and more.

The company was founded in 1938 as a trading company dealing with local produce, fish, noodles, and more. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Samsung entered the electronics business with its first product, a black and white television. In the 1990s, the company expanded its electronics efforts by producing displays and chips for processing and storage, core components of the business today. In the 2000s, the company established itself as a big player in cell phones, which later evolved into the Samsung Galaxy smartphone lineup.

Off the back of successful feature phones, Samsung quickly became a dominant player in the smartphone industry. The original Galaxy device was launched in 2009, which ran Android 1.5 “Cupcake” out of the box. Just a year later, the “Galaxy S” brand made its debut, selling 24 million units of its original model and 40 million of its sequel. The Galaxy S III was its first massive hit, though, selling 70 million devices starting in 2012. The success of that mainstream flagship propelled Samsung to be a major player in the premium smartphone market. Today, the Galaxy S21 series is the company’s main offering starting at $799, but the high-end Galaxy S21 Ultra pushes boundaries with more raw power and a better camera system that’s one of the best available today.

samsung galaxy s21 series

The flagship market is only a fraction of the company’s total smartphone sales. It’s actually more affordable devices such as the Galaxy A series that really earn Samsung its spot in the industry. The Galaxy A series has produced some of the best-selling Android smartphones in the world for the past few years, for instance, with the Galaxy A50 and Galaxy A51 both topping the charts in their respective release windows.

To say Samsung’s smartphones have been influential is an understatement, as the brand has produced some of the biggest trends in the industry. Most memorable is the rise of large-screen smartphones. In 2011, just two years into the rise of its Android-based Galaxy line, Samsung debuted the original Galaxy Note, which was ridiculed for its large 5.3-inch display. The phone went on to sell 10 million units and spawn nine popular sequels leading up to the Galaxy Note 20 series in 2020. In 2016, Samsung famously released the Galaxy Note 7, which was recalled due to batteries that were bursting and catching fire. The phone was discontinued, and fans ultimately had to wait until the Note 8 was released a year later. In 2021, Samsung reportedly canceled its Galaxy Note 21 series due to the ongoing chip shortage, a move that may spell trouble for the lineup as a whole.

samsung galaxy note 20 ultra

In 2019, Samsung announced its first foldable smartphone in the Galaxy Fold. The book-style foldable had high-end specs and an inner display that was far larger than what could traditionally fit in a pocket, but its launch was met with negativity as several early reviewers faced major issues with the inner display. The company opted to cancel the launch and redesign the product, relaunching it months later with several solutions. In 2020, the Galaxy Z Flip debuted with much better reception and solutions for problems that plagued the Fold, though with a new flip-phone style design. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 took those same ideas and applied them to the original design while improving the displays both inside and out.

samsung galaxy fold 3 z flip 5g

What other products does Samsung sell?

Beyond its extremely successful smartphones, Samsung sells a plethora of other products. There are TVs, home appliances, and more. The company also products and sells electrical components, AMOLED displays, and more to other companies.

Relating closely to its smartphones, though, are Samsung’s tablets, laptops, and smartwatches. Android tablets are fairly rare on the market, but the Galaxy Tab series has stuck around as an affordable option as well as a flagship one, the latter usually including support for DeX. The company also products laptops using both Microsoft’s Windows 10 and Google’s Chrome OS, the former linking to Galaxy phones using the “Your Phone” integration that is deeply built into One UI. Finally, the Galaxy Watch lineup has been one of the best options for an Android-compatible smartwatch, and each model pairs best with a Galaxy smartphone.

What Samsung smartphones have launched in 2021?

As the world’s largest smartphone maker, Samsung is known for launching dozens of different models every year. It’s a list that grows considerably throughout the year as flagships, mid-range, and entry-level devices launch in the US, Korea, Europe, India, and other major smartphone markets. Here’s a list of every device that’s launched in 2021 so far.

  • Galaxy S21
  • Galaxy S21+
  • Galaxy S21 Ultra
  • Galaxy A02s
  • Galaxy A12
  • Galaxy A32
  • Galaxy A52
  • Galaxy A72
  • Galaxy Quantum 2
  • Galaxy F02s
  • Galaxy F62
  • Galaxy F12
  • Galaxy F52 5G
  • Galaxy M02
  • Galaxy M02s
  • Galaxy M12
  • Galaxy M42 5G
  • Galaxy Quantum 2
  • Galaxy xCover 5

You can read more about Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches in our cover below. We also publish reviews of most mainstream Samsung smartphones and other consumer products.

Samsung Stories March 20

Samsung boosts Galaxy S23 trade-in values, up to $800 with select devices and offers

Samsung has lately been the king of trade-in offers when launching new phones, and the Galaxy S23 series also saw some great offers back during pre-orders. Now, Samsung is bringing back those trade-in deals, offering up to $800 towards your new phone.

Samsung’s next generation of foldables will be the first as the company faces some much-needed competition, and it seems they’ll benefit from a host of upgrades. In a new set of rumors, we’re hearing more about the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s bigger cover display, as well as what will and won’t change on Fold 5.

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Samsung Stories March 17

The month of March has arrived, which means spring is almost here. It also means that it’s time for Samsung to roll out the March 2023 security patch to its many Galaxy phones – here’s the full list of devices with the update.

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Samsung has recently launched a new “Rugged Sport” band for its Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Watch 5 smartwatches which is shipping now.

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Samsung’s Galaxy Watch series has been the best of Wear OS since it debuted with the Galaxy Watch 4 in 2021, and rumors are starting to come out regarding the company’s next generation. A previous rumor hinted at bigger battery sizes of the Galaxy Watch 6, and now another leak shows just what upgrade to expect.

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Samsung Stories March 15

Samsung has offered 100x zoom and the ability to capture shots of the moon on its “Ultra” smartphones for the past few generations, but that feature came under fire this week following a compelling test claiming the photos were faked. Now, Samsung is once again explaining how its moon photos work and why they aren’t completely fake.

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The most popular Android phones in the world are often from Samsung’s Galaxy A-Series, and today the company is announcing the Galaxy A54 for the US market with a reasonable price and updates for years to come.

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Alongside the Galaxy A54 5G, Samsung has unveiled the Galaxy A34 5G in a limited selection of global regions.

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Samsung’s latest mid-ranger A-series smartphones certainly pack a punch, but unlike years prior, the Galaxy A34 and A54 have more differences than ever before. Here’s everything you need to know.

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Samsung Stories March 14

Change the brightness of your Galaxy S23 flashlight with a couple of taps, here’s how

Samsung Galaxy devices are some of the best Android phones because of their unique features. One neat one that seems to fly under the radar is the flashlight brightness settings. Here’s how you can change the brightness of your flashlight on the Galaxy S23.

Samsung Stories March 13

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 might finally be dust-resistant, Flip 5 also gets new hinge

Foldable hardware has been improving with each new generation, but dust and water prove difficult for everyone attempting these form factors. Samsung has made progress, but with the Galaxy Z Fold 5, it seems the company is finally going to rate its device for dust resistance.

Smartphone cameras have gotten ridiculously good, but the smaller sensors and minimal space for optics means that these cameras can only be so good. That’s why Samsung’s “Space Zoom” on phones like the Galaxy S23 Ultra and its ability to capture the moon is so impressive – and also so suspected of being fake. And now, some compelling evidence shows that, yeah, those pictures are almost certainly not real.

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Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Ultra rumored to get camera upgrades sometime this month

The camera has been a core point of Samsung’s focus on the Galaxy S23 series, but there’s always room for improvement. Apparently, Samsung is planning an update to improve the camera on Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Ultra which is coming later this month.

Samsung’s smartwatches dropped a beloved feature last year, with the rotating bezel disappearing from the Galaxy Watch 5 series. But, according to a new rumor, the rotating bezel might return for the Galaxy Watch 6 series.

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Samsung Stories March 11

Samsung has been expected to debut a bigger upgrade to its flagship foldable phone later this year, but it seems there may be fewer changes than many were hoping for. According to a pair of new leaks, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 won’t be changing its outer display or cameras.

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Samsung Stories March 8

Samsung has been pushing the idea of the Galaxy ecosystem over the past few years, building out features and new devices to let you get things done across every form factor. But where Apple has macOS to offer its customers a full experience on desktop and laptops, Samsung doesn’t have a full desktop OS of its own – DeX doesn’t count. With a suite of software on top of Windows 11, the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 is a killer way to round out an ecosystem of Galaxy devices, and it also happens to be an excellent laptop on its own.

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Samsung Galaxy S23 series belatedly joins official ARCore support list

After the delay in adding the Pixel 6a and Pixel 7 series to the official ARCore support list, Samsung’s latest flagship Galaxy S23 series and a few more flagships have also been added.

Samsung Stories March 6

Batteries naturally degrade over time and the Galaxy Watch 5 is no different. Through an extra app on your Galaxy device, you can check exactly what the battery life status is on your Galaxy Watch 5. Here’s how.

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Industry sources claim that Samsung is building a team to develop its own CPU cores for the rumored “Galaxy Chip” for phones and laptops, but Samsung denies this report.

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Samsung Stories March 2

Someone modded a cheap Samsung phone with a 30,000 mAh battery

While smartphones are getting better and better at lasting through the day, battery life is still something many of us have to worry about. But one daring individual took it upon themselves to install a ludicrous 30,000 mAh battery onto their Samsung phone, which presumably will basically never die.

Samsung is preparing to expand its portfolio of wearable gadgets, according to new US trademarks for “Galaxy Glasses” AR/VR headsets and “Galaxy Ring” smart rings.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5’s new hinge reportedly being tested for 200,000 folds

Samsung is upgrading the hinge on its upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 5, and with that comes new testing. According to a new report, the Fold 5’s biggest tests are now underway, but with a lower bar compared to some competitors.

Samsung Stories March 1

Apple’s killer chipsets and tightly integrated software has long led to iPhones being a bit faster than many Android phones over the years, but in a new speed test, Samsung’s new Galaxy S23 Ultra pulls off a rare victory.

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Samsung Stories February 28

As a part of its effort to build out an ecosystem of connected devices, Samsung has put a lot into its Galaxy Book line of laptops. On the latest Galaxy Book 3 series, Samsung has upgraded its Multi-Control feature that, frankly, not enough folks know about.

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Even though Samsung has just launched the Galaxy S23 series, the Korean company has not forgotten about its predecessors. A growing number of Samsung Galaxy devices are getting the February 2023 Android security update – here’s the full list.

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Samsung Stories February 27

Some early Galaxy S23 buyers are having Wi-Fi woes

The Galaxy S23 series launched earlier this month and brings some killer hardware and performance, but a few early buyers are running into problems with Wi-Fi.

Samsung Stories February 24

It’s been known for a little while now that Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be launching with a brand-new hinge design, and it seems that new design will lead to a drastically thinner folding smartphone, as Samsung has been able to cut down on the thickness considerably.

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Samsung Stories February 23

Samsung’s midrange Exynos 1380 puts a larger focus on AI

Samsung’s midrange devices are generally seen as some of the better phones on the market, partially due to what Samsung hides inside. To keep that going, Samsung is ready to equip the net generation of midrange devices with its newest chip, the Exynos 1380.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 tipped to adopt IP67 water resistance

According to a new report, Samsung will apply strong water resistance to its upcoming Galaxy Tab S9 lineup.

According to a new report, Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch 6 will move back toward a design with curved glass, just like Google’s Pixel Watch.

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Satellite connectivity is one of the “next big things” in smartphones following Apple’s debut of the feature in its iPhone 14 series last year. Now, Samsung is throwing its hat in the ring, with two-way satellite connectivity in smartphones powered by the modem that happens to be in Google’s Pixel 7.

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Samsung Stories February 22

Galaxy Z Fold 5 will unsurprisingly use the speedy storage from Galaxy S23, but Flip 5 may be limited

The arrival of Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 smartphones has also brought forth UFS 4.0 storage, which provides real speed improvements. According to a new report, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 will upgrade to that speedy storage, but the Galaxy Z Flip 5 may be limited.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 reportedly skipping the built-in S Pen yet again

The arrival of S Pen support on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is part of what sealed the death of the Galaxy Note, but we’re still waiting on the ability to house a stylus inside of Samsung’s flagship foldable. Apparently, those hoping for an S Pen silo to arrive in the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be left waiting yet again.

Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant has always been mocked in comparison to Google Assistant, but Samsung has built out the feature to include some genuinely useful features. This week, Samsung has announced a major update for its assistant that centers around voice and text interactions.

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How to add Google Home devices to your device control panel on your Galaxy phone

Samsung Galaxy devices running Android 10+ have access to a really cool feature called “Device Control,” which allows you to control smart home products right from a shortcut on your screen. Here’s how to set the feature up and add devices.

Samsung Stories February 20

Samsung’s Camera Assistant app is a useful companion to the pre-installed camera app on Galaxy devices. Now, the Camera Assistant app is expanding its reach with One UI 5.1, which will allow more Galaxy phones to use the feature.

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As the foldable market finally gets some real competition, Samsung is apparently set for some major revisions to its 2023 lineup. According to one new rumor, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will see a big upgrade to its outer cover display.

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Samsung Stories February 18

Samsung launched its One UI 5.1 update this month and rolled it out to several devices in record time, but the update seems to be causing a lot of problems for some users, as it is riddled with bugs and hurting battery life on older Galaxy smartphones.

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Samsung Stories February 17

With One UI 5, many under-the-hood constraints are set in place to allow your device to get decent battery life. Unfortunately, those restrictions result in some apps crashing unnecessarily or just not working on your Galaxy phone. Here’s how you can set unrestricted access to apps in One UI 5.

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Smartphone cameras have become incredible over the past several years, to the point where even mid-range phones deliver fairly good results. But in our Galaxy S23 Ultra review this week, we called the 200MP camera “disappointing.” Why? Mainly because Samsung’s processing and shutter lag lets it down.

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After being announced earlier this month, the Galaxy S23, S23+, and S23 Ultra officially launch today, and Samsung says that pre-orders were higher than the predecessor too.

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Samsung Stories February 16

Samsung reportedly launching Galaxy S23 FE later this year

In 2020 Samsung debuts the Galaxy S20 FE to a pretty huge success, and followed that up with a somewhat underwhelming Galaxy S21 FE. The company ended up skipping the Galaxy S22 FE – at least thus far – but it seems there may be a comeback with a Galaxy S23 FE reportedly coming later this year.

While the Galaxy S23 series has launched with One UI 5.1 pre-installed, existing Samsung Galaxy phones are now eligible to update. Here’s everything new and what you can expect to see on your Samsung phone.

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In a way, smartphones continue to stagnate year after year as changes become more and more minimal with each new generation. But with its new Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung shows that, to some extent, there’s still reason to get excited about minor changes. This is easily the best Samsung smartphone yet not because it introduces new features, but because it takes some of the core fundamentals and just about perfects them. Others… not so much.

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Samsung Stories February 15

Samsung’s Galaxy S23 series officially launches later this week, but one thing we’ve noticed in our early time with it has been the absolutely stellar battery life. In a new post, Samsung confirms that one way the Galaxy S23 saves on battery is with a new type of AMOLED display.

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The latest version of Samsung’s Android skin, One UI 5.1, debuted on the Galaxy S23 series and is now actively rolling out to a handful of Galaxy smartphones. Here’s what’s actually new.

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Samsung Stories February 14

What kind of charger do you need for the Galaxy S23, S23+, or S23 Ultra? What you need to know

There are thousands of chargers on the market right now, each with different capabilities. Of course, you need a charger with a certain amount of power to sufficiently charge the Galaxy S23, S23+, or S23 Ultra. Here’s what you need to know about chargers and which ones we recommend for your Galaxy S23.

One UI 5.1 arrives on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy S21 FE, and Galaxy S20 FE

Samsung is pushing One UI 5.1 to the masses in record time, with the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the company’s Fan Edition phones already being updated.

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