Samsung showed off a lot of neat things during last Wednesday’s Galaxy Unpacked event, but despite the barrage of features shown off for the Galaxy S25, it was the teaser at the end that will go down as the most memorable thing from the show. Most people weren’t expecting at all, but the Galaxy S25 Edge finally got a lot more real.
To be fair, there’s still a lot unknown about this incredibly sleek looking phone — like how thin it’ll really be. So far, it’s tipped to be 6.4mm thin, which would be an engineering marvel given today’s designs. Just as a comparison, the Galaxy S25 Ultra measures in at 8.2mm. Samsung’s clearly paying a lot of attention to the Edge’s design, which could usher in a whole new era.
Still, this isn’t the first time that the company has reinvented itself in some capacity because Samsung has a rich history of memorable phone design. Here are some of Samsung’s most ambitious mobile devices of all-time.
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
Released: 2014
What’s special about the design: Samsung finally ditched its all-plastic construction.
I remember the Samsung Galaxy Alpha dearly because it finally ended Samsung’s streak of making all-plastic phones, which inevitably helped to jumpstart a new generation of Samsung phones that looked and felt premium.
Gone were the shiny plastic bodies that the first five generations of Galaxy S phones used, replaced instead with an aluminum trim paired with a soft touch matte rear. The Galaxy Alpha was also incredibly thin and lightweight.
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
Released: 2011
What’s special about the design: Hyper Skin finish gave it a grippy feel
It was the last Samsung-made Nexus phone, but the Galaxy Nexus remains special for so many reasons. While it still followed the all-plastic construction that Samsung was notorious for at the time, this phone stood out due in large part to its curved design — making it more comfortable to hold.
In fact, the addition of a Hyper Skin finish for its rear casing made the Galaxy Nexus a lot more scratch resistant and grippy. Compared to the smooth finishes that most phones offered at that time, this diamond-like texture elevated the Galaxy Nexus design.
Samsung Galaxy Note
Released: 2011
What’s special about the design: It was the first phablet ever to be released.
Today’s best phones are giant-sized compared to what they were a decade ago. Samsung got everyone to take notice of its Galaxy Note when it was launched in 2011 because it stood out for what was an immense size at the time.
You could argue that the original Galaxy Note coined the term “phablet” because it seemingly blended a phone and tablet together, pushing the boundaries of what size you could fit into your pocket. But it didn’t end at just the design because the Galaxy Note also introduced us to the S Pen.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Released: 2019
What’s special about the design: A foldable phone design finally became a reality.
We’re six generations in at this point, but the original Galaxy Fold is still one of Samsung’s most ambitious phone designs ever. Not only is it a true engineering masterpiece for incorporating new technologies, like a flexible display and hinge, but it’s an evolution that combines the phone and tablet form factors into one.
Given all the complexities and cost surrounding designing a phone with a folding screen, Samsung was one of the first to successfully bring one to market. This would eventually lead the company to improve on that design with each successor, while also eventually launching its flip phone style model in the Galaxy Z Flip series.
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Released: 2015
What’s special about the design: Premium materials paired with a curved edged display made it look slick.
Hot off the release of the Galaxy Alpha, Samsung evolved its phone designs with the release of the Galaxy S6 in 2015. In particular, the Galaxy S6 Edge took everyone by surprise due to its slick-looking design.
The glass-and-aluminum body was a big departure from the plastic constructions of past phones, but the S6 Edge is one of Samsung’s most ambitious designs ever because of how it paired it with a curved, dual-edge display — a first of its kind at the time.
Honorable mentions
Samsung also created other phones that stood out due to their quirky and intriguing designs. While these honorable mentions didn’t necessarily redefine the company’s phone design philosophy, they certainly were compelling enough to stand out.
Samsung Pixon
Released: 2013
What’s special about the design: The design made it look like a digital camera, complete with an 8MP camera that was unheard of in phones at the time.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom
Released: 2013
What’s special about the design: It fashioned a 10x optical zoom camera into a phone.
Samsung Galaxy Beam
Released: 2012
What’s special about the design: The built-in DLP projector allowed it to project up to 50 inches.
Samsung SPH-N270
In 2002, Samsung Electronics developed a special cellphone for The Matrix: Reloaded movie. #SamsungTBT pic.twitter.com/xMkP8HCwyIMay 29, 2014
Released: 2003
What’s special about the design: Made specifically to look like the phone in “The Matrix Reloaded,” it featured a spring-loaded earpiece that popped the screen up.
Samsung SCH-u470
Released: 2007
What’s special about the design: This ultra slim phone featured a swivel design that allowed it to look like an MP3 player when closed.
