Samsung Galaxy S4 history traced in Galaxy S evolution video
We investigate how Samsung's Galaxy S phones have evolved over time, leading up to the freshly unveiled Galaxy S4.
Samsung has held its Samsung Galaxy S4 aloft, introducing it to the tech world like a tiny electric Simba -- but what were the smart phone steps that led to the 5-inch wonder we'll shortly see lining shop shelves?
Click play on the video above as we investigate the evolution and history of Samsung's Galaxy S phones, as well as pondering where the popular series is headed next.
Humble origins
In June 2009 Samsung's first Android phone was released. The i7500 was also known as the Samsung Galaxy, and had a 3.2-inch display and a 5-megapixel camera.
We gave the Galaxy four stars in our review, but weren't impressed with its boring appearance and lack of multi-touch. When it came out, Apple was already onto its second iPhone, so there was plenty of catching up to do.
One year later though, Samsung had made a lot of progress. The Galaxy S kicked off a new line of high-end smart phones to distinguish Samsung's best efforts from its mid-range mobiles, and blew us away with a 4-inch Super AMOLED display.
That doesn't seem like much by today's standards, but a few years ago it was an absolutely massive screen -- an early indicator of Samsung's lust for bigger and bigger phones.
Turning point
Fast forward one more year, and it's time to meet the Galaxy S2, which treated phone shoppers to a 4.3-inch screen and a shockingly powerful 1.2GHz dual-core processor. This was the phone that established Samsung as a serious contender to the smart phone crown.
Following the S2 was the oval-shaped Galaxy S3, which impressed with a fresh design and powerful quad-core processor. More importantly though, this mobile cemented Samsung's style -- high-end hardware combined with an overwhelming number of apps and software features.
It's a trend that continues with the Galaxy S4, and doesn't look to be going away any time soon. What's next for the Galaxy S range? Who is Samsung's biggest rival? Watch the video above, and let us know your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook wall.