Today marks a significant milestone for Samsung and the smartphone industry as the original Samsung Galaxy S celebrates its 15th anniversary since its launch on June 4, 2010. The initial Galaxy S set a high standard with its hardware, although it faced criticism for its design and software when compared to the iPhone. Despite this, it laid the groundwork for groundbreaking smartphone innovations, establishing Samsung as the leading smartphone manufacturer globally.
Following the original, Samsung released the Galaxy SII in 2011, a device that competed closely with Apple. The Galaxy SIII and S4, launched in 2012 and 2013, further solidified Samsung’s reputation for innovation, with the S4 becoming the best-selling Android phone ever. These models, however, included some gimmicks and a heavy Android skin. The Galaxy S5 in 2014 focused on durability, while the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge in 2015 brought design improvements but at the cost of features like expandable storage and water resistance.
From 2016 to 2018, the Galaxy S7 to S9 series introduced features such as Dex, dual-pixel autofocus, and dual-aperture cameras, reviving expandable storage and water resistance while maintaining premium designs. However, the Galaxy Note 7 incident in 2016 impacted Samsung’s reputation. The Galaxy S10 series in 2019 was a highlight, offering a compact and affordable S10e, and introducing Samsung’s first 5G phone.
In the 2020s, Samsung navigated the transition to 5G with mixed results. The Galaxy S20 series in 2020 was notably expensive and omitted the headphone jack. The Galaxy S21 series in 2021 removed the microSD slot and bundled charger but introduced 8K recording and advanced cameras. Although recent Galaxy S models have seen incremental changes, they remain the most popular Android flagships, thanks to Samsung’s vast reach, robust software, and strong brand presence. This enduring success traces back to the original Galaxy S launched 15 years ago.
