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 an 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, but 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 are 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 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 ensures 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.

To showcase how smartphone photography can match the beauty and detail of the real thing, Samsung has partnered with noted celebrity photographer Uli Weber, who created a bespoke series of low light images, shot exclusively on a Samsung Galaxy S9 or S9+, in Ibiza^*.

The Golden Hour

A mesmerizing effect is created in the periods just before sunrise and sunset, when the first light of the day begins to creep in and the last glow fades away. Amongst artists and photographers, this time has been given a special name: the “golden hour”. The term also has a significant presence in photography published on social media, with #goldenhour gathering over 2 million mentions on Instagram so far.

The golden hour is a time when daylight is redder and softer than when the sun is higher in the sky, creating stunning effects that are impossible to replicate without the use of post-editing software or filters. Just twice a day, there is a unique opportunity to see the world differently, capturing this on camera adds brilliance to otherwise ordinary images.

Gold Meets Galaxy

Using the cameras of the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, professional-level shots can be achieved during golden hour with no need for additional equipment. Using a smartphone allows people to be more flexible with their angles and spontaneous with their shooting. The flagship Galaxy smartphones have Dual Aperture lenses, which adjust according to lighting conditions in the same way as a human eye, to produce striking low light photographs. No filter required.

The reddish hue of daybreak is also represented in the latest editions of the Galaxy S9 and S9+ in Sunrise Gold – a name that was chosen to express those moments when light first begins to radiate across the sky.

Golden Tips

Teaming up with German photographer Uli Weber, famed for shooting portraits of celebrities such as Kate Moss and Sting, Samsung held a masterclass in Ibiza to demonstrate how to shoot gorgeous images on your smartphone.

At the event, Weber offered up his tips for capturing the beauty of golden hour with your smartphone, as well as snapping a series of striking photos on the Galaxy S9 and S9+.

Weber reflected on his experience with the smartphones and their cameras: “Golden hour gives off the best natural light, transforming your holiday shots from ordinary to extraordinary. Having a handset with advanced low-light capabilities in your pocket as you travel means you can capture these one-off moments without having to edit afterwards. Often, particularly in low light, smartphone photography doesn’t reflect reality but Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and S9+ camera is a brilliant example of how smartphone photography has advanced. The way it captures low light means you can shoot the beauty of the world as you see it.”

In today’s world, both our methods and mediums of communication are shifting. As people share more of their experiences visually, Samsung designed the cameras of the Galaxy S9 and S9+to help them achieve golden hour photos with a professional flair.

^*All photos included in the article are shot on a Samsung Galaxy S9+

And now DxOMark—the trusted industry standard for camera and lens image quality measurements and ratings—has just announced that the Galaxy S9+ has earned the top spot in their mobile camera rankings. With a score of 99 points, we’ve earned DxOMark’s highest-ever combined photo and video rating for a smartphone camera. The Galaxy S9+ photo score from DxOMark is 104 points – the highest ever photo score from the organization.

Among all the exciting innovations, two technical innovations did more than any others to push the Galaxy S9+ to the top of the DxOMark rankings:  the Dual Aperture¹ and the Super Speed Dual Pixel Sensor. They work together to help you take amazing photos in any lighting condition and capture everyday epic moments.

If you’ve ever taken a grainy photo at a dimly lit birthday dinner or frowned as your friend’s smile got washed out by bright sunlight, then you know that most of the time we take photos in imperfect light. The Dual Aperture lens automatically adapts like the human eye, and with an F stop of 1.5 it’s the widest lens of any smartphone—delivering the brightest possible pictures in extreme low-light environments. Meanwhile, the Super Speed Dual Pixel sensor goes to work, using its dedicated processing power and memory to combine up to 12 distinct images into one amazing, high-quality photo.

DxOMark’s ranking affirmed the value of these camera innovations with every photo we take—from midnight to high noon. But they’re not the only reasons you’ll want to experience for yourself what the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ camera does to reimagine the way you communicate, share and experience the world.

In Super Slow-mo mode, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ lets you capture 960 frames per second—four times more than the Galaxy S8. While manual capture gives you complete control of the shot, the new Automatic Motion Detection mode will start recording as soon as it senses movement in the frame,. After capturing the shot, music is added automatically and instantly creates three shareable GIFs  to easily share with friends and family.

There are even more ways to personalize what you create and share with the new camera with augmented reality (AR) technology. Using advanced AR technology, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ analyze a 2D image of you and creates a 3D animated AR Emoji, a personalized emoji that’s uniquely you.

AR Emoji messages are saved in a standard AGIF file format, so you can send them to anyone using your favorite messaging app. To create one, it’s as easy as taking a selfie.

The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ AR technology also reimagines the way you interact with the world around you. Bixby, Samsung’s intelligence platform, is integrated into the camera and automatically overlays information directly on top of the image the camera is pointing at. With new Bixby features² built right within the camera, you don’t have to go through several steps or applications to get information about local landmarks, read a foreign menu or street sign in 54 different languages with Live Translation³, or shop⁴. If you see a cool product, Bixby will show you shopping options from retailers such as Walmart and Sam’s Club. The new Makeup feature lets you try on different looks and shop for your favorites. You can even point the camera at the meal in front of you, and in conjunction with AI, Bixby can estimate the calories and track them in Samsung Health.

As I hope you can see, we did more than design a new smartphone camera. We reimagined it so you can capture the perfect image in almost any light, capture moments and tell stories in new, creative ways.

¹ Rear camera F1.5 lens. Dual aperture (F2.4/F1.5) on rear wide-angle lens only. Light comparison based on the Galaxy S8.

² Voice command works with a select, growing number of third-party apps; see Apps with Voice in Bixby for a list of compatible apps. Service ability may vary by country. Instant access to Bixby not available while in: video and voice recording, call, Ultra Power Saving Mode, Emergency Mode, Kids Mode, DeX, DeX Station, and Car Mode.

³ Samsung Account log-in and data network (wifi or internet connection) required. Translation speed may vary depending on internet connection and word count. This function is limited to selected languages. For the full list of languages please visit www.samsung.com/galaxy

⁴ Feature limited to select retail partners.

These include features such as Super Slow-mo and Dual Aperture, which allow users to capture amazing moments in impeccable detail, as well as exciting innovations like AR Emoji, which offer users a fun and unique way to express themselves. Let’s explore some of the innovative features that make these cameras such a pleasure to use.

Capture Small Moments in Incredible Detail

Our daily lives are full of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moments that, when captured on camera, are breathtaking to behold. By increasing the camera’s shutter speed to a blistering 960 frames per second (fps), the Galaxy S9’s new Super Slow-mo function makes it easy for users to record special moments that pass too quickly to be seen by the naked eye – such as the instant a water balloon bursts, or the moment your child scores a big goal.

In order to incorporate the function, Samsung outfitted the Galaxy S9 with a Super Speed Dual Pixel image sensor that supports faster image processing. Composed of an image sensor, a fast readout circuit, and a smart dedicated DRAM memory chip, this sensor allows Super Slow-mo to record content that’s 32 times slower than normal video, and four times slower than any other slow-motion mobile technology. That means that just 0.2 seconds of normal video can be transformed into approximately 6 seconds of stunning footage.

When activated on the Galaxy S9, the function is not just fast; it’s also smart. To make capturing slow-motion footage even simpler, Samsung enhanced the function with an intelligent feature called Automatic Motion Detection, which allows users to capture any fleeting moment.

This allows users to automatically record moments that could pass them by in the time it would take to manually activate the function. Users can easily adjust the size of the motion-detection area on the camera screen, and have the option to capture either a ‘Single-take’ or ‘Multi-take’ Super Slow-mo video, with the latter allowing them to record up to 20 slow-motion clips.

The camera also makes customizing and sharing Super Slow-mo videos simple. Users have the option to create a GIF of their clip that they may save and share with three playback options: on loop, in reverse, or in swing mode. They can also add a soundtrack to their video, utilizing a song from their library or any of Super Slow-mo’s 35 built-in options, and choose to display their Super Slow-mo clip on Galaxy S9’s home screen or lock screen.

Crisp Images in Low-Light Conditions

The Galaxy S9’s cutting-edge Dual Aperture camera is designed to adapt to various lighting conditions just as the human eye would, automatically letting in more light when it’s dark and less when it’s too bright to ensure that photos are crisp and clear anytime, anywhere.

This level of clarity is possible thanks to Samsung’s pairing of a new F1.5 aperture lens, which is the brightest currently available on a smartphone, with an F2.4 lens.

The lenses automatically adjust their apertures to reduce visual distortion and deliver the best possible picture, and help the camera provide 28 percent better reception to light¹. Users may also adjust the apertures manually by utilizing the camera’s Pro Mode.

The Galaxy S9’s upgraded Multi-Frame Noise Reduction technology enhances low-light image quality even further by capturing and combining 12 pictures in quick succession to eliminate up to 30 percent¹ more noise and create a stunning shot.

Express Yourself with AR Emoji

Expressing yourself with animal emoji and cartoon characters can be fun, but as cute as they may be, they lack your distinct personality. That’s why Samsung developed the Galaxy S9’s AR Emoji feature – to offer users a visual communication tool that allows them to express themselves in a way that’s unique to them.

From a single selfie, the Galaxy S9’s machine-learning algorithm analyzes more than 100 distinct facial features, including your eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks and forehead, and uses that data to generate a personalized 3D avatar, or ‘my emoji,’ that looks just like you. Each is capable of mimicking the user’s own movements, in addition to supporting 18 pre-set expressions at launch, which makes it easy to punctuate any point with a dynamic visual.

Users can choose to create their own avatar, or pick one from a built-in selection of unique characters. Each is fully customizable, so users may edit their avatar’s facial features, hairstyle, accessories (such as glasses) and clothing to their liking. Samsung is also collaborating with various partners to add more fun and iconic characters to the AR Emoji roster very soon.

AR Emoji are compatible with messaging apps that utilizes the Samsung keyboard, and can easily be shared as GIFs or PNG files with anyone, no matter what kind of smartphone they have. To apply an extra layer of personalization to their device, users may also choose to use it as a wallpaper on their lock screen and home screen.

Deeper Bixby Integration²

Samsung’s intelligence platform, Bixby, is deeply integrated into the Galaxy S9’s camera, and utilizes augmented reality and deep learning technologies to provide users with a wide range of helpful, real-time information about the world around them.

When the user points their camera at an object, Bixby recognizes what it’s looking at and instantly presents information related to that object overlaid on top of the image. Bixby currently features nine different camera modes, including Text, Food, Makeup, Wine, Shopping, Image, QR Code and more, which allow users to receive instant insight into their surroundings.

This means that, for instance, a user on a business trip abroad may utilize the Live Translation function under Bixby’s Text mode to instantly translate a menu or sign written in a foreign language, or even foreign currency, in real-time. Bixby is currently capable of detecting 54 languages and translating them into a total of 104, which means no more accidentally ordering the wrong dish when overseas!³

Speaking of food, Bixby Vision’s Food mode allows the Galaxy S9’s camera to provide comprehensive information on the food you’re eating, including the calorie count and recipes.⁴ Makeup mode delivers similar levels of analysis and convenience, allowing the Galaxy S9 to recognize the kinds of makeup that the person in the camera is wearing, and providing direct links to websites that sell them.⁵

A Dual Camera Is Twice As Fun

The best-in-class Dual Camera featured on the Galaxy S9+ is composed of a pair of 12MP cameras – an F1.5 wide-angle lens with Super Speed Dual Pixel image sensor, and an F2.4 telephoto lens – that seamlessly combine their respective images into one.

The telephoto lens offers 2X optical and up to 10X digital zooming capabilities, while the camera’s dual optical image stabilization (OIS) technology ensures that both lenses provide crisp, clear shots even when the user has a shaky hand.

The camera’s Live Focus feature makes snapping selfies more fun, and allows you to easily capture a perfect portrait shot and adjust the depth of field before the picture is taken, or afterward, in the Gallery app. The Background Blur function offers users even more creative control over their pictures, allowing them to adjust their photo’s focus by applying a variety of shapes, including a heart or star to the background.

The Dual Capture feature was specifically designed to capture beauty in the background – or views that could be missed when taking a Live Focus shot. This function allows you to snap a close-up Live Focus portrait while also capturing the surrounding scenery, so the final photo will encapsulate the beauty of the moment in its entirety.

In addition, the cameras of both the Galaxy S9 and S9+ utilize machine learning technology to ensure that captured images are as clear as can be. The cameras’ Selfie Focus feature, for instance, automatically distinguishes the user’s face from their surroundings when taking a selfie, while Image Classification Solution automatically categorizes images and recognizes subjects’ surroundings to apply filters that make the photos looks like they were taken by a professional photographer.

^*All functionality, features, specifications and other product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, and capabilities of the product are subject to change without notice or obligation. 

¹Compared to the Galaxy Note8.

²Bixby service availabilities and features may vary by country or carrier.

³Of these 54 recognizable languages, 33 may be detected automatically, and 21 should be selected manually.

⁴Food mode is available in Korea, the U.S., France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Spain and India.

⁵Makeup mode is available in Korea, the U.S., Canada and China.