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Samsung Galaxy

Series of Android smartphones, mobile computing device and Android applications From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Samsung Galaxy
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For the original smartphone in the lineup, see Samsung Galaxy (2009 smartphone).

Samsung Galaxy (Korean: 삼성 갤럭시; stylized as SΛMSUNG Galaxy since 2015 (except in Japan, where the company omitted the "Samsung" branding up until 2023);[2] previously stylized as Samsung GALAXY) is a series of computing devices designed, manufactured, and marketed by Samsung Electronics since 29 June 2009.

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Logo used until 2015
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Logo used since 2015, without Samsung word

The product line includes the Galaxy S series of high-end smartphones, the Galaxy Z series of foldable smartphones, the Galaxy A, M, and F series of mid-range and budget smartphones, the Galaxy Tab series of tablets, and the Galaxy Watch series of smartwatches. The Galaxy TabPro S is the first Samsung Galaxy-branded Windows 10 device that was announced at CES 2016. In 2020, Samsung added the Galaxy Chromebook 2-in-1 laptop running ChromeOS to the Galaxy branding lineup.[3] The Samsung Galaxy XR, first released on 21 October 2025, is one of the first major extended-reality devices to feature the Android XR operating system.

Samsung Galaxy devices come with a user interface called One UI (with previous versions being known as Samsung Experience and TouchWiz).

The Samsung Galaxy series is noteworthy for its pioneering role in bringing Android into mainstream popularity beginning in the early 2010s and still having popularity to this day with their high-quality smartphones.[4][5]

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Samsung Sharp Sans, the typeface used for Samsung Galaxy marketing since 2015
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History

The 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.[6] Omnia had been the second full-touch Samsung device running the TouchWiz user interface (after the Tocco), but the Galaxy had an unmodified Android interface; the TouchWiz UI made its way to the Galaxy series with the Galaxy S.[7] The Galaxy S and its successor Galaxy S II became very successful, eclipsing the company's other lines and operating systems.[8] During the decade, the Galaxy phones "became the company's most-praised products [and] also were among the best-selling smartphones in the world."[9]

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Lineup

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Current

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Discontinued

Samsung released multiple series of its devices, often overlapping with each other. Most of these series were dropped.

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Other devices

Phones
Media player
Cameras
Projectors
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Software

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Main articles: TouchWiz, Samsung Experience, and One UI
See also: Galaxy Store

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[16] on Galaxy as a result of a Samsung-Microsoft partnership.[17][16]

Security

Samsung has been caught quietly installing an Israeli bloatware application known as AppCloud in its phone lineup, in particular, the West Asian and North African regions.[citation needed] This app is known for collecting large amounts of sensitive personal data, without a chance to opt-out or uninstall the app without achieving root access due to it falling under the system app umbrella. This process of gaining root access would trip the Samsung Knox E-fuse and void the warranty in the event this is achieved by use of bootloader unlocking, which has recently become impossible on all Samsung devices running OneUI 8 or above, as the code for unlocking the bootloader has been completely stripped from not only the settings app, but also the bootloader itself.[18] [19]

Interoperability

Samsung Flow

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.[20] It was announced in November 2014,[21] released in a preview form in May 2015[22] and final released in May 2016.[23] Microsoft's Phone Link also comes on Galaxy smartphones since 2019.[17]

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.[24] Device Control is another feature in the quick panel that can control SmartThings and other devices.[25]

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Release history

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The following is a table showing the full initial release history of every Galaxy device since 2009.

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Regional firmware variants

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Region locking and CSC codes

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:

  • Make calls on the phone or watch from the Samsung Phone app
  • Use the Call and Text on Other Devices feature to make calls

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.

Model numbers

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). Prior to September 2013, the model numbers were in the "GT-XXXXX" format; they were also in the "SCH-XXXX", "SGH-XXXX", "SPH-XXXX" and "SHV/SHW-XXXX" formats.

Phones

  • SM-Sxxx – S series model from S22 and later (previously used on Galaxy S4/S5 for Tracfone) or TracFone Galaxy J series, A series or other handsets from TracFone
  • SM-Fxxx – Z series model, and some older F series model
  • SM-Gxxx – S series (S5 - S21 or select Galaxy S3 mini models), XCover model, Ace model, Grand model, Round, Core model, Trend model, Alpha, Wide, Mega 2, Pocket 2, Star 2, Young 2, On model and some J series Prime model or A series Star models
  • SM-Nxxx – Note model
  • SM-Jxxx – J series model
  • SM-Axxx – A series model
  • SM-Mxxx – M series model
  • SM-Exxx – F series model and some E series model
  • GT-Sxxx2/ SM-Gxxx/DS / SM-Gxxx/DD SM-Gxxx2 Dual-SIM "Galaxy Duos" model
  • GT-Nxxx0/GT-Nxxx5 – Galaxy Note 1 and 2 (International 3G/4G, respectively)
  • GT-Nxxx3 – Unlocked Galaxy Note 1 and 2 (US/Canada)
  • GT-Ixxx0/GT-Ixxx5 – Galaxy S4 and earlier models (International 3G/4G LTE, respectively)
  • GT-Ixxx3 – Unlocked Galaxy S4 and earlier models (US/Canada)
  • SGH – GSM handset
  • SPH – Sprint handset
  • SCH – Verizon/US Cellular handset
  • SHV/SHW – Korean handset

Tablets

  • SM-Xxxx – Tab A and S models from A8, Active 5, S8 and later
  • SM-Txx0/1/5/6 – mainstream Tab model (Tab 3 to Tab A7 Lite/Active4/S7)
  • SM-Pxx0/5 – mainstream Tab with built-in S Pen stylus model (Note 10.1 2014, Tab A 10.1, etc.)
  • SM-Wxxx – Microsoft Windows model (i.e., Galaxy Book)
  • GT-Nxx00/GT-Pxx20 – older mainstream Tab with built-in S Pen stylus model (Note 8.0 and 10.1, 3G/4G LTE respectively)
  • GT-Nxx13 – older mainstream Tab with built-in S Pen stylus model (Note 8.0 and 10.1, US/Canada Wi-Fi)
  • GT-Nxx10 – older mainstream Tab with built-in S Pen stylus model (Note 8.0 and 10.1, International Wi-Fi)
  • GT-Pxx00/GT-Pxx20 – older mainstream Tab model (Tab 1 to Tab 3, 3G/4G LTE respectively)
  • GT-Pxx13 – older mainstream Tab model (Tab 1 to Tab 3, US/Canada Wi-Fi)
  • GT-Pxx10 – older mainstream Tab model (Tab 1 to Tab 3, International Wi-Fi)
  • GT-Snnn5/GT-Nnnn5/GT-Pnnn5/GT-Innn5/SM-NnnnF/SM-Tnn5/SM-GnnnF – 4G/LTE model

Regions

  • A: AT&T
  • AZ: Cricket
  • P: Sprint, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile
  • R4: UScellular
  • T: T-Mobile
  • T1: Metro by T-Mobile (formerly MetroPCS)
  • V: Verizon
  • U: USA carrier locked
  • U1: USA factory unlocked
  • S: SK Telecom
  • K: KT
  • L: LG Uplus
  • D: NTT Docomo
  • J: au by KDDI
  • Z: SoftBank Mobile
  • Q: Japan factory unlocked
  • N: Korea
  • W: Canada
  • E: Asian
  • M: Latin America
  • 0: China mainland (phones)
  • C: China mainland (tablets) and Rakuten Mobile (Japan)
  • B: International 5G
  • F: International 4G/LTE
  • H: International 3G
  • X: Live Demo Unit

Duos or Dual SIM models end with the /DS suffix.

Firmware numbering

The following is a list of known firmware regions.

More information Region, Code ...
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Over the Horizon

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"Over the Horizon" is the trademark sound for Samsung smartphone devices, first introduced in 2011 on the Galaxy S II.[79] It was composed by Joong-sam Yun and appears as music in the music library of most Samsung phones released since 2011.[80] 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".[81]

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See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Samsung Galaxy.


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References

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