10 for 10: Highlights from a Decade of Galaxy Innovation

Over the past decade, the Galaxy series has delivered some of the most advanced innovations in mobile technology

What does 10 years of industry-leading mobile innovation look like? For the Galaxy range, it takes the form of smartphone displays that redefine immersion, enabling users to see and do more than ever before; performance technologies that keep users connected longer, more securely, and that much more comfortably; and software and camera innovations that continue to push the limits of what mobile devices can do.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Take a look at the infographic below for an in-depth look at 10 of the Galaxy range’s leading innovations that have redefined the smartphone experience over the past 10 years.

1. AMOLED Displays

First featured on: the Galaxy S (2010)

Samsung’s introduction of the first smartphone with a Super AMOLED display laid the groundwork for AMOLED technology to become the industry standard, and ultimately helped pave the way for the era of large-screen smartphones.

The Galaxy S10’s Dynamic AMOLED display takes the immersive viewing experiences that Samsung devices are known for to the next level, combining exceptional color accuracy (100 percent color volume in the DCI-P3 color range) with a peak luminance of 1,200 nits, and without requiring a filter or compromising picture quality, blue light reduction provides maximized eye comfort.

Those stellar specs, along with the display’s groundbreaking support for HDR10+, a next-generation open standard for HDR video, allow Samsung’s newest smartphones to offer a level of picture quality that’s so spectacular, you have to see it to believe it.

2. The S Pen

First featured on: the Galaxy Note (2011)

Since its launch, Samsung’s category-defining Galaxy Note line has introduced a variety of intuitive tools designed to help users maximize their productivity. Chief among these is the devices’ signature stylus: the S Pen.

Each new addition to the Note family adds convenient capabilities to this handy feature; for example, the S Pen that debuted with Note devices starting with the Galaxy Note7 harnesses electromagnetic resonance (EMR) technology, keeping the S Pen and its device connected without relying on static electricity – meaning the functionality of the S Pen is unaffected by water.

Furthermore, while the Galaxy Note3’s S Pen was 1.6mm in diameter, the S Pen of last year’s Galaxy Note9 is just 0.7mm in diameter, and while the debut Galaxy Note’s S Pen supported a pressure level of 256, the Galaxy Note9’s S Pen supports a pressure level of 4096, providing users with a natural writing experience just like that of a real pen.

The S Pen equipping the Galaxy Note9 is also the most versatile yet, thanks to its Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) support, customizable clicks, and deeper integration with fan-favorite Note features.

3. Samsung Knox

First featured on: the Galaxy Note3 (2013)

Built into the company’s smartphones, tablets and wearables at the manufacturing stage, Samsung’s comprehensive security platform, Samsung Knox, offers Galaxy device users a simple and secure environment for storing and managing sensitive data.

Since its introduction, Samsung Knox has helped countless Galaxy users safeguard apps, photos and more from malware, viruses and other malicious threats. Its multi-layered security technology runs through each and every component of a device, from its chipset to its OS through to its applications. Secured by Knox, all your data is securely encrypted and hosted, completely isolated, on a secure place on device to keep your data private.

IT developers and administrators have been driving the security leadership agenda in the mobile industry, and today, Samsung continues to strengthen and enrich Samsung Knox with updates and enhancements that offer businesses and individuals greater security, and greater peace of mind.

4. Biometric Authentication

First featured on: the Galaxy S5 (2014)

Speaking of stalwart security, over the last ten years, Samsung has continuously enhanced its Galaxy lineup with the latest advancements in biometric technologies in order to offer users more tools to protect their devices and personal data.

The Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note4 were the first devices in the series to offer biometric security in the form of home button-embedded fingerprint scanners. It wasn’t long before Samsung expanded its biometric authentication arsenal with iris and facial scanning respectively.

The Galaxy S10 line takes biometric convenience a step further with an Ultrasonic Fingerprint Scanner that’s incorporated into the display, and utilizes ultrasonic waves to recognize the real, 3D contours of a user’s physical fingerprint, more secure than just 2D image recognition.

5. IP68 Dust and Water Resistance

First featured on: the Galaxy S5 (2014)

The Galaxy S5 was the first device in the Galaxy series to achieve an international standard rating of IP67 for dust and water resistance. The Galaxy S7 then achieved a IP68² rating, the highest possible in this certification, meaning that Galaxy users can rest assured that their smartphones are built to stand up to the odd splash, spill or storm.

Prior to this technology, devices stood higher risks of hardware erosion and suffering from electrical shorts when up against adverse conditions. However, Samsung’s technology means that people can use their devices more safely, even in wet environments.

This premium durability standard has now become a staple of Galaxy flagship devices. It’s all part of Samsung’s commitment to ensuring that its devices will be there for users whenever they need them.

6. Wireless Charging

First featured on: the Galaxy S6 (2015)

Samsung has been at the forefront of wireless charging innovation since the technology’s beginnings, introducing advancements that have helped usher in an era in which charging your phone is as simple as placing it on a pad.

After introducing built-in wireless charging support to the Galaxy lineup with the Galaxy S6, Samsung took the technology to new heights with the introduction of Wireless PowerShare on the Galaxy S10, giving users the power to share their device’s impressive battery capacity supported by the Galaxy S10’s Fast Wireless Charging 2.0. Now, the Galaxy series’ latest additions are not only capable of charging wirelessly, they’re also capable of wirelessly charging other devices, including Qi-certified¹ smartphones and wearables.

7. Samsung Pay

First featured on: the Galaxy S6 (2015)

Simple, secure, and available almost anywhere, Samsung Pay has quickly established itself as a mobile payment platform that consumers can trust.

First introduced with the Galaxy S6, Samsung Pay supports seamless payments via both near field communication (NFC) and magnetic secure transmission (MST). Samsung Pay uses three levels of security to ensure and enable secure payments: biometric authentication through fingerprint or iris recognition, tokenization³ and Samsung Knox, Samsung’s defense-grade mobile security platform.

Samsung Pay is available across six continents, with more markets joining the fold each year – and the service’s rapid growth and expansion is revolutionizing the mobile payment landscape. As of August 2018, Samsung Pay has surpassed 1.3 billion transactions globally available in 24 markets.

8. The Infinity Display

First featured on: the Galaxy S8 (2017)

Samsung’s introduction of the Infinity Display in 2017 marked the beginning of a bold new chapter in screen design, following the legacy of the increased screen real estate and better grip experience provided by the world’s first curved display, Edge, that debuted on the Galaxy Note edge.

Featuring a bezel-less, dual-edge design that elegantly spills over the edges of the phone, the Infinity Display pushes the boundaries of immersion, enabling users to see and do more than ever before. Seamless and sleek, the display is a beauty to behold – which makes it the perfect canvas for the likewise stunning viewing experiences that Galaxy devices are known for.

Since its introduction on the Galaxy S8, the Infinity Display has become a signature feature of Samsung’s flagship phones. Each year, the company introduces enhancements that make the display even more engrossing and maximizes screen real estate for users to enjoy. The Infinity-O Display available on the Galaxy S10 range is the series’ most immersive, advanced and revolutionary yet.   

9. Bixby

First featured on: the Galaxy S8 (2017)

Introduced alongside the Galaxy S8, Samsung’s scalable AI platform, Bixby, was created to offer users a more personal, intelligent and intuitive AI assistant.

Samsung continuously enhances its AI platform with ever-more convenient capabilities designed to help users save time and simplify their day. Users also now have access to Bixby Marketplace, a new ecosystem resource for third-party services – known as ‘capsules’ – that are custom-fit for use with Bixby and allow users to do more of what they need with the assistance of Bixby.

10. Pro-grade Camera (Dual Aperture)

First featured on: the Galaxy S9 (2018)

Smartphone users have come to expect groundbreaking innovations from the Galaxy series – especially when it comes to the devices’ cameras. The Dual Aperture technology included in the series’ recent flagships is one such example of a pioneering camera innovation.

Samsung officially debuted the technology on the Galaxy S9, making the device the first smartphone to feature a Dual Aperture camera. In a nutshell, the technology enables the camera to automatically adjust to various lighting conditions just as the human eye would. It does this by combining an F1.5 aperture lens with an F2.4. The ability to let in more light when it’s dark and less when it’s bright enables the camera to minimize visual distortion and ensure that photos are crisp and clear anytime, anywhere.

The Galaxy S10’s camera comes with intelligent software and professional lenses so that users can capture exactly what they see, as they see it, thanks to an unprecedented Ultra Wide 123° panoramic field of view among other innovations that allow users to capture pro-grade photos and videos.

¹ Qi is an open interface standard for wireless charging that was created by the Wireless Power Consortium – an industry group that includes device manufacturers, accessory makers and others.
² An IP68 certification means a device has received a 6 ranking (out of a possible 6, with 6 being the best) in terms of protection against solid damage, and an 8 ranking (out of a possible 8, with 8 being the best) for protection against water of up to 1.5m in depth for up to 30 minutes (not advised for beach or pool use). In the case of contact with water, users are advised to immediately rinse any residue and dry the device.
³ Tokenization is a process that generates virtual information for a transaction without the storing of financial details in a device. This protects users’ financial information.