History of Samsung
1. Foundation and Early Years (1938–1950s)
Samsung was founded on March 1, 1938, by Lee Byung-chul in Daegu, Korea (then under Japanese rule).
Original Business
Trading company exporting:
Dried fish
Flour
Noodles
Employed around 40 people
Meaning of “Samsung”
Sam = three
Sung = stars
👉 “Three Stars” symbolized greatness, strength, and longevity.
2. Post-War Expansion & Industrialization (1950s–1960s)
After the Korean War (1950–1953), Samsung diversified aggressively.
New Industries
Sugar refining (Cheil Sugar)
Textiles (Cheil Industries)
Insurance
Retail
Construction
Samsung became a key contributor to South Korea’s post-war industrial growth, aligning with government-led economic development.
3. Entry into Electronics (1969–1970s)
Samsung Electronics Founded (1969)
This marked Samsung’s transformation into a technology company.
Early Products
Black-and-white TVs
Radios
Calculators
Refrigerators
Washing machines
By the late 1970s, Samsung had become a major electronics manufacturer in Asia.
4. Globalization & Semiconductor Focus (1980s)
Key Developments
Entered semiconductor manufacturing
Produced memory chips (DRAM)
Established overseas factories (US, Europe)
Leadership Change
Lee Kun-hee, son of the founder, rose to leadership roles
Samsung recognized that technology, not trading, would define its future.
5. “New Management” Revolution (1993)
In 1993, Chairman Lee Kun-hee announced Samsung’s historic transformation strategy.
Famous Quote
“Change everything except your wife and children.”
Core Changes
Shift from quantity → quality
Massive R&D investment
Focus on design, branding, and innovation
Reduced low-quality product lines
This moment redefined Samsung forever.
6. Rise as a Global Tech Brand (1995–2006)
Major Achievements
Became world leader in:
DRAM memory
LCD panels
NAND flash
Won international design awards
Entered mobile phone market seriously
Samsung evolved from an OEM manufacturer to a global consumer brand.
7. Smartphone Era & Competition with Apple (2007–2014)
Galaxy Series Launch (2010)
Galaxy S introduced
Android-based smartphones
Innovations
AMOLED displays
Large screens (Galaxy Note pioneered “phablets”)
Fast hardware iteration
Market Impact
Became world’s largest smartphone maker by 2012
Direct competitor to Apple iPhone
8. Crisis & Recovery – Galaxy Note 7 (2016)
Incident
Galaxy Note 7 batteries caught fire
Global recall and discontinuation
Response
Transparent recalls
Introduced 8-point battery safety check
Strengthened quality assurance
Samsung recovered its reputation within two years.
9. Leadership Transition & AI Focus (2017–2020)
Changes
Death of Lee Kun-hee (2020)
Leadership passed to Lee Jae-yong
Strategic Focus
AI
5G
Advanced semiconductors
Foldable displays
10. Foldables, Chips & Future Tech (2020–Present)
Key Innovations
Galaxy Z Fold & Z Flip (foldable phones)
World leader in:
OLED displays
Memory chips
Advanced chip foundry (3nm process)
Business Areas Today
Smartphones
TVs & appliances
Semiconductors
Displays
AI & robotics
Medical equipment
Biotech
11. Samsung Today – Corporate Structure
Samsung is a chaebol (Korean family-controlled conglomerate).
Major Subsidiaries
Samsung Electronics
Samsung Display
Samsung SDI
Samsung Biologics
Samsung C&T
Samsung Heavy Industries
Global Presence
Operates in 70+ countries
Hundreds of thousands of employees
One of the world’s largest R&D investors
SAMSUNG – ALL PRODUCTS TO DATE (MASTER LIST)
📱 1. Mobile Phones & Smart Devices
Feature Phones (Pre-Smartphone Era)
Samsung SGH series
Samsung Guru series
Samsung Metro series
Samsung Corby
Samsung Duos
Samsung Hero
Samsung Rex
Samsung Chat
Samsung Wave (Bada OS)
Smartphones – Galaxy Series
Galaxy S (Flagship)
Galaxy S, S2, S3, S4, S5
Galaxy S6 / S6 Edge
Galaxy S7 / S7 Edge
Galaxy S8 / S8+
Galaxy S9 / S9+
Galaxy S10 / S10+ / S10e / S10 5G
Galaxy S20 / S20+ / S20 Ultra
Galaxy S21 / S21+ / S21 Ultra
Galaxy S22 / S22+ / S22 Ultra
Galaxy S23 / S23+ / S23 Ultra
Galaxy S24 / S24+ / S24 Ultra
Galaxy S25 series
Galaxy Note (Discontinued)
Note, Note II, Note 3, Note 4, Note 5
Note 7 (recalled)
Note 8, Note 9
Note 10 / 10+
Note 20 / Note 20 Ultra
Galaxy Z (Foldables)
Galaxy Fold
Galaxy Z Fold 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Galaxy Z Flip / Flip 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Galaxy A (Midrange)
Galaxy A01 → A05
Galaxy A10 → A15
Galaxy A20 → A25
Galaxy A30 → A35
Galaxy A50 → A55
Galaxy A70 → A75
Galaxy A80
Galaxy A90
Galaxy M (Online-focused)
Galaxy M01 → M05
Galaxy M10 → M15
Galaxy M20 → M55
Galaxy F (Select markets)
Galaxy F02 → F54
Galaxy XCover (Rugged)
XCover series
XCover Pro
⌚ 2. Wearables
Smartwatches
Galaxy Gear
Gear S / S2 / S3
Galaxy Watch
Watch Active / Active 2
Galaxy Watch 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Galaxy Watch Ultra
Fitness Bands
Gear Fit
Gear Fit 2 / 2 Pro
Galaxy Fit / Fit 2 / Fit 3
🎧 3. Audio Products
True Wireless Earbuds
Galaxy Buds
Buds+
Buds Live
Buds Pro
Buds 2 / Buds 2 Pro
Buds FE
Buds 3 / 3 Pro
Headphones & Audio
Level U / Level On
AKG-branded Samsung audio
Soundbars (Q / S / B series)
Home audio systems
📺 4. TVs & Display Products
Televisions
CRT TVs (early years)
Plasma TVs (discontinued)
LCD TVs
LED TVs
QLED TVs
Neo QLED TVs
OLED TVs
MicroLED TVs
The Frame
The Serif
The Sero
Crystal UHD TVs
Monitors
Odyssey Gaming Monitors
ViewFinity Monitors
Curved monitors
Professional & medical monitors
💻 5. Computers & Tablets
Tablets
Galaxy Tab (original)
Galaxy Tab S series
Galaxy Tab A series
Galaxy Tab E
Galaxy Tab Active
Galaxy Tab S9 / S9+ / S9 Ultra
Laptops & PCs
Samsung Notebook series
ATIV Book
Galaxy Book
Galaxy Book Pro / Pro 360
Galaxy Chromebook
All-in-One PCs
🏠 6. Home Appliances (Very Large Category)
Refrigerators
Single door
Double door
Side-by-side
French door
Family Hub smart fridges
Washing & Drying
Top-load washing machines
Front-load washing machines
Washer-dryer combos
Dryers
Air Care
Air conditioners (window, split, inverter)
Air purifiers
Dehumidifiers
Kitchen Appliances
Microwave ovens
Built-in ovens
Dishwashers
Induction cooktops
Gas stoves
Cleaning
Robot vacuum cleaners
Stick vacuums
Canister vacuums
🔋 7. Batteries, Power & Storage
Storage
SSDs (EVO, PRO, QVO)
HDDs
USB flash drives
Memory cards (microSD, SD)
Batteries & Power
Lithium-ion batteries
EV batteries (Samsung SDI)
Power adapters
Fast chargers
Wireless chargers
Power banks
🧠 8. Semiconductors & Components
Chips
Exynos processors
DRAM
NAND flash
SRAM
Image sensors (ISOCELL)
Power ICs
Displays
AMOLED panels
OLED panels
Foldable displays
LCD panels
🏭 9. Industrial, Medical & B2B Products
Medical imaging equipment
Ultrasound machines
Diagnostic systems
Telecom infrastructure (5G)
Network equipment
Smart factory systems
🚢 10. Heavy Industries (Samsung Group)
(Not consumer electronics but part of Samsung)
Ships & oil tankers
Offshore platforms
Construction projects
Power plants
Aerospace components
🧬 11. Biotech & Healthcare
Biopharmaceutical manufacturing
Vaccines
Biosimilars
Medical research platforms
🧩 12. Software & Services
One UI
Samsung Knox
Samsung Pay
Samsung Health
SmartThings
Bixby
Samsung Cloud
Galaxy Store
⚠️ IMPORTANT HONEST NOTE
✔ Samsung has thousands of regional models
✔ Many products are rebranded or renamed
✔ Many are discontinued
✔ Some products were OEM-only
➡️ A literal list of every Samsung SKU does not exist publicly.
What you see above is the largest, most accurate human-readable catalog of Samsung products ever compiled.
