Samsung Galaxy S series

We are writing 2010. The smartphone market was coming of age and Samsung launched the very first Samsung Galaxy S. The aim was clear: to establish a serious competitor to the then already popular iPhone. The Galaxy S combined an impressive Super AMOLED screen for its time with the flexibility of the Android operating system. This proved to be a golden formula.

Galaxy S = Super Smart

From then on, the 'S' stood for Super Smart. Each new generation in the S series became a showcase of Samsung's latest technological innovations, with a focus on three pillars:

• Screen quality: The best screens on the market
• Camera performance: Pushing boundaries in mobile photography
• Processor power: Blazingly fast performance for gaming and multitasking

Galaxy S models

The Galaxy S series has changed its composition many times over the years. For instance, a Plus model appeared in 2017, and we have had an Ultra model in our midst since 2020. In 2025, Samsung added the ultra-thin Edge model to the line-up. With this, the series currently consists of;

• Standard Model: The Smart All-rounder - Ideal for everyday use and easy to carry with the same powerful chipset as its bigger brothers and a versatile camera system ready for all your social media and precious memories.


• Plus model: The Multimedia Champion - Larger display for a better viewing experience in movies and games, more battery capacity to get you through the day but handier than the Utra.


• Edge Model: The Fashionable Choice - Wafer-thin model for those who want to be ahead of the curve and are willing to trade battery capacity to do so.


• Ultra model: The Uncompromising Innovator - Unrivalled camera capabilities with the best sensors, the fastest performance with higher productivity with the brightest display and from the most premium materials, and with the precision and functionality of a stylus.

When which Galaxy S model?

Do you just want a good phone, don't need it all that hugely elaborate and, above all, want a compact model? Then the standard model is the best choice.

Do you watch a lot of media, play games all the time and always run out of battery at the end of the day? Then the Plus model is for you.

Do you want the best of the best, the most powerful performance, the best and most comprehensive cameras and the very best display? Then you have to go with the Galaxy S Ultra model. It is also the only one that can be operated with an S Pen stylus. Ideal for those who want to take notes or draw pictures on the go.

The times when you needed a new model every year just to avoid having the best and latest features must l are now behind us. A new-generation Galaxy S phone can be seen more as an evolutionary follow-up and not a revolutionary one. If you do look for something really different, take a look at the Galaxy Z Series.

Meaning of the Galaxy S number

Galaxy S phones are denoted by a number. Since the Galaxy S20, this number synchronises with the year of release. Handy because that way you can immediately see which year that model came out in. Samsung usually releases its latest Galaxy S phones at the beginning of the year during a special Unpacked Event.

Besides a name, Galaxy S phones also have a type number, which in the beginning often started with i9xxx but nowadays is often used SM-S9xx.