Samsung is a technology conglomerate based out of South Korea that makes some of the world's most popular smartphones.
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.
The latest Samsung flagships include the Galaxy S24 series, as well as foldable smartphones such as Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5.
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, and the best of the Note has now been merged into the ongoing Galaxy S “Ultra” release.
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 has continued to build on this form factor each year, often with big improvements, including water resistance, better hinges, upgraded cameras, and more.
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.
Check out our up-to-date coverage of everything Samsung below.
Well, that didn’t take long. After word of an early build of One UI 9 for Samsung’s upcoming foldables leaked out, we’re getting our first look at what the company’s wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 variant might look like, and in a twist, it’s even wider than Google’s original Pixel Fold.
Samsung’s feeling reinvigorated in the foldable game. After catapulting itself back into the conversation with last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, the company recently launched a tri-fold model that, despite its sky-high price, can’t seem to stay in stock. We know Samsung is working on at least two additional book-style foldables for later this year, and now, its wider alternative is showing up with a fresh One UI 9 build.
Samsung may have been a little too ahead of its time when it announced plans for a smart home robot powered by, you guessed it, AI. The product appears to have been shelved, as Ballie vanishes from Samsung’s website.
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra is rocking the same 5,000 mAh battery as the past five generations of the company’s most high-end flagship, and it’s being beaten by Samsung’s cheapest smartphone, the Galaxy A07.
The Galaxy S26 leaks just don’t stop, with the latest batch of images giving us our best look at the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra in their core color options.
New research predicts that the Android and iOS foldable markets will be dominated by book-style devices rather than smaller clamshell designs, and manufacturers are already placing greater emphasis on premium, productivity-focused devices.
The Galaxy Watch 8 was already the best deal in Wear OS at its retail price of $350, but major discounts are available right now that cut the price to just $150.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 launch is officially set for February 25th, but that still leaves us with two weeks of leaks and speculation until the big reveal. Thankfully, today’s rumors sounds pretty positive. Despite some not-so-great rumors surrounding this year’s pricing, it seems like Samsung could still provide its usual storage upgrades for early adopters at launch — component shortage be damned.
Samsung has officially confirmed that its next Unpacked event will take place on February 25, with the Galaxy S26 series set to be the star of the show.
With Samsung gearing up for the firm’s yearly smartphone launch, and with the benefit of hindsight, we sort of need the Galaxy S26 to at least make some notable improvements over its predecessors or risk losing potential buyers.
After months — years, even — of rumors and leaks, Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold hit store shelves at the tail end of January. Even at an eye-watering price of $2,899, the company managed to sell out of its initial units nearly immediately. Now we know when Samsung might put more up for sale, and just how many were available to begin with.
In a few days, Samsung will announce the Galaxy S26 series and the key changes that come with it, and newly leaked specs detail those changes ahead of time. They aren’t as dramatic as some may have hoped.
Samsung has released a new beta update for One UI 8.5 on the Galaxy S25 series, with the Android 16-based update delivering just a few small tweaks and fixes.
Back in 2018, Samsung’s big new camera feature on the Galaxy S9 was the ability to change the physical aperture of the camera on the fly, and now, it might be making a comeback, thanks to Apple.
While it, sadly, looks like the Galaxy S26 series will be missing out on built-in Qi2 magnets, Samsung seems to still have a wireless charging spec upgrade in store for its new devices.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is getting its fair share of leaks right before launch, as is the custom. The latest renders are 360-degree views of Samsung’s premium flagship.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series was expected to deliver on a few key upgrades that were long overdue, but that all went out the window last year when Samsung apparently decided to go all-in on avoiding a price hike. Despite killing those upgrades, though, leaks suggest that the price is going up anyway.
As we predicted, Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 series will reportedly not have built-in Qi2 magnets, instead relying on a case to add the functionality that is required for several of Samsung’s new accessories.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 trio is shaping up to be an interesting launch — it’s just that the phones themselves aren’t actually the interesting part. We already know that a lot of what could’ve made the S26 lineup different from its predecessors has been thrown out the window thanks to failed concepts and stiff competition. Now, Samsung needs to try to tease a lineup that appears unchanged even by this brand’s own standards, and so far, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds lineup has changed a lot over the years, with the last generation having ditched a long-time charging case design in favor of copying AirPods, but it seems Galaxy Buds 4 are taking a step back.
Insider reports indicate that Samsung is prioritizing development on Galaxy Z Fold 8 and other larger form factors over the smaller Galaxy Z Flip, planning to produce more of the former than in previous years.
We’re likely under a month away from Samsung’s official unveiling of the Galaxy S26 series, but that doesn’t mean the leaks have to stop. New renders are showcasing the Galaxy S26 Ultra in all four of its previously-leaked colorways, most of which look as familiar as the phone itself.
Leaks continue to tell us the GalaxyS26 series won’t be a particularly big upgrade, and it seems more likely than ever that one of the biggest expected changes, the addition of native Qi2 magnets, won’t be happening – “my day is ruined and my disappointment is immeasurable.”
Samsung
Samsung is a technology conglomerate based out of South Korea that makes some of the world's most popular smartphones.
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.
Table of contents
Why are Samsung smartphones so popular?
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.
The latest Samsung flagships include the Galaxy S24 series, as well as foldable smartphones such as Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5.
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, and the best of the Note has now been merged into the ongoing Galaxy S “Ultra” release.
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 has continued to build on this form factor each year, often with big improvements, including water resistance, better hinges, upgraded cameras, and more.
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.
Check out our up-to-date coverage of everything Samsung below.
Samsung’s ‘Wide Fold’ surfaces with near-16:10 aspect ratio, wider than first Pixel Fold
Well, that didn’t take long. After word of an early build of One UI 9 for Samsung’s upcoming foldables leaked out, we’re getting our first look at what the company’s wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 variant might look like, and in a twist, it’s even wider than Google’s original Pixel Fold.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung’s rumored wider Galaxy Z Fold 8 variant reappears with One UI 9 in tow
Samsung’s feeling reinvigorated in the foldable game. After catapulting itself back into the conversation with last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, the company recently launched a tri-fold model that, despite its sky-high price, can’t seem to stay in stock. We know Samsung is working on at least two additional book-style foldables for later this year, and now, its wider alternative is showing up with a fresh One UI 9 build.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung may have abandoned Ballie as it vanishes from website
Samsung may have been a little too ahead of its time when it announced plans for a smart home robot powered by, you guessed it, AI. The product appears to have been shelved, as Ballie vanishes from Samsung’s website.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung’s dirt-cheap Galaxy A07 has a bigger battery than the Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra is rocking the same 5,000 mAh battery as the past five generations of the company’s most high-end flagship, and it’s being beaten by Samsung’s cheapest smartphone, the Galaxy A07.
Expand Expanding CloseFull Galaxy S26 series leaks in official-looking images showing off new colors [Gallery]
The Galaxy S26 leaks just don’t stop, with the latest batch of images giving us our best look at the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra in their core color options.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid book-style foldables expected to dominate in 2026, report says
New research predicts that the Android and iOS foldable markets will be dominated by book-style devices rather than smaller clamshell designs, and manufacturers are already placing greater emphasis on premium, productivity-focused devices.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung’s Galaxy Watch 8 is bizarrely cheap right now, starting at $150
The Galaxy Watch 8 was already the best deal in Wear OS at its retail price of $350, but major discounts are available right now that cut the price to just $150.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung’s Galaxy S26 trio could still include a free storage upgrade at launch
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 launch is officially set for February 25th, but that still leaves us with two weeks of leaks and speculation until the big reveal. Thankfully, today’s rumors sounds pretty positive. Despite some not-so-great rumors surrounding this year’s pricing, it seems like Samsung could still provide its usual storage upgrades for early adopters at launch — component shortage be damned.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung confirms Galaxy S26 launch on February 25, up to $900 off with reservation
Samsung has officially confirmed that its next Unpacked event will take place on February 25, with the Galaxy S26 series set to be the star of the show.
Expand Expanding CloseThe Galaxy S26 can’t skate by on minor improvements alone [Video]
With Samsung gearing up for the firm’s yearly smartphone launch, and with the benefit of hindsight, we sort of need the Galaxy S26 to at least make some notable improvements over its predecessors or risk losing potential buyers.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung will restock the Galaxy Z TriFold in the US later this month
After months — years, even — of rumors and leaks, Samsung’s Galaxy Z TriFold hit store shelves at the tail end of January. Even at an eye-watering price of $2,899, the company managed to sell out of its initial units nearly immediately. Now we know when Samsung might put more up for sale, and just how many were available to begin with.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy S26 fully leaked specs temper big expectations for battery, display
In a few days, Samsung will announce the Galaxy S26 series and the key changes that come with it, and newly leaked specs detail those changes ahead of time. They aren’t as dramatic as some may have hoped.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung rolling out One UI 8.5 Beta 4 to Galaxy S25 series with these changes
Samsung has released a new beta update for One UI 8.5 on the Galaxy S25 series, with the Android 16-based update delivering just a few small tweaks and fixes.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung might bring back Galaxy S9’s variable aperture camera just to copy iPhone
Back in 2018, Samsung’s big new camera feature on the Galaxy S9 was the ability to change the physical aperture of the camera on the fly, and now, it might be making a comeback, thanks to Apple.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy S26 series surfaces with upgraded wireless charging spec, no Qi2 magnets
While it, sadly, looks like the Galaxy S26 series will be missing out on built-in Qi2 magnets, Samsung seems to still have a wireless charging spec upgrade in store for its new devices.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung Galaxy S26 Ultra gets the ‘do a twirl’ treatment in latest leak
The Galaxy S26 Ultra is getting its fair share of leaks right before launch, as is the custom. The latest renders are 360-degree views of Samsung’s premium flagship.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung killed Galaxy S26 upgrades to avoid a price hike – leaks say it didn’t work
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series was expected to deliver on a few key upgrades that were long overdue, but that all went out the window last year when Samsung apparently decided to go all-in on avoiding a price hike. Despite killing those upgrades, though, leaks suggest that the price is going up anyway.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy S26 series will ‘100%’ not have Qi2 magnets built-in, leak reveals
As we predicted, Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 series will reportedly not have built-in Qi2 magnets, instead relying on a case to add the functionality that is required for several of Samsung’s new accessories.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung teases Galaxy S26 camera by pretending it’ll actually be an upgrade
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 trio is shaping up to be an interesting launch — it’s just that the phones themselves aren’t actually the interesting part. We already know that a lot of what could’ve made the S26 lineup different from its predecessors has been thrown out the window thanks to failed concepts and stiff competition. Now, Samsung needs to try to tease a lineup that appears unchanged even by this brand’s own standards, and so far, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung ends software support for Galaxy S21 series
The Galaxy S21 series will no longer get quarterly updates from Samsung as it reaches the end of its supported life.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung goes back to its old charging case design for Galaxy Buds 4 in new leak [Gallery]
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds lineup has changed a lot over the years, with the last generation having ditched a long-time charging case design in favor of copying AirPods, but it seems Galaxy Buds 4 are taking a step back.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung is confident the Galaxy Z Fold 8 will finally sell better than Flip 8
Insider reports indicate that Samsung is prioritizing development on Galaxy Z Fold 8 and other larger form factors over the smaller Galaxy Z Flip, planning to produce more of the former than in previous years.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra renders showcase all four of its familiar colors
We’re likely under a month away from Samsung’s official unveiling of the Galaxy S26 series, but that doesn’t mean the leaks have to stop. New renders are showcasing the Galaxy S26 Ultra in all four of its previously-leaked colorways, most of which look as familiar as the phone itself.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy S26 is likely skipping built-in Qi2 magnets in latest leak
Leaks continue to tell us the GalaxyS26 series won’t be a particularly big upgrade, and it seems more likely than ever that one of the biggest expected changes, the addition of native Qi2 magnets, won’t be happening – “my day is ruined and my disappointment is immeasurable.”
Expand Expanding Close