One of the best Samsung telephones you could not purchase within the US

Samsung’s world lineup has at all times been greater than the vary we noticed within the US. Through the years, a few of its most fascinating, formidable, or simply plain enjoyable units have been stored elsewhere, usually by design. From luxurious foldables to engineering experiments, listed here are the greatest Samsung telephones that by no means formally made it stateside.

Ever questioned what cellphone a billionaire would have? The Samsung W24 and W24 Flip had been ultra-premium variations of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5, tailor-made solely for the Chinese language market. These units added to the usual foldable expertise with luxurious supplies like ceramic backs and gold trim. With 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage the W24 was priced at roughly CNY 15,999 (round $2,198), whereas the W24 Flip provided 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for round CNY 9,999 (roughly $1,374).

Whereas the core {hardware} aligned with their world counterparts, that includes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip and comparable digicam setups, the W24 sequence stood aside due to its unique design components. They had been straight-up opulent, and Samsung reserved them just for choose markets.

The Galaxy A82, recognized in South Korea because the Galaxy Quantum 2, was one in every of Samsung’s stranger experiments — and a surprisingly highly effective cellphone on the identical time. It packed a Snapdragon 855 Plus chip, a 120Hz AMOLED show, and a 64MP foremost digicam with optical picture stabilization, making it nearer to a flagship than most A-series units on the time.

What set the A82 aside, although, was its quantum random quantity generator chip. Samsung marketed it as a lift for security-conscious customers, providing supposedly higher safety for apps like banking, messaging, and authentication. It was a unusual thought, even when the sensible advantages had been onerous to note. The cellphone launched in South Korea at KRW 699,600 (round $622). Outdoors of Korea, the A82 by no means noticed a broader launch. That was a disgrace, as a result of below the advertising and marketing gimmicks, it was a well-built, high-spec gadget that might have given US consumers an fascinating various to costlier flagships.

Earlier than the trendy age of foldables even began, Samsung was already mixing nostalgia and luxurious with units just like the Galaxy W2016. This high-end flip cellphone ran a full model of Android, full with twin 3.9-inch touchscreens, a T9 bodily keypad, and a modern design made from glass and metallic. It seemed like a traditional clamshell from the surface, however below the hood, it had {hardware} akin to the Galaxy S6, together with a Samsung Exynos processor and a 16MP digicam.

The W2016 launched solely in China at a hefty worth, reportedly round CNY 9,999, or roughly $1,570. That might be equal to virtually $2,100 in right now’s cash. It was by no means supposed for mass-market enchantment; as a substitute, it catered to a distinct segment group of patrons who needed the status of a conventional flip cellphone with out giving up trendy smartphone options. For US customers, it remained an unique curiosity.

The Galaxy A80 gave the impression to be Samsung proving it may nonetheless innovate with its telephones. As an alternative of a notch or a punch-hole digicam, the A80 used a intelligent slider-and-flip mechanism: the rear cameras popped up and rotated ahead for selfies, leaving its 6.7-inch OLED show utterly uninterrupted. The triple digicam setup included a 48MP major sensor, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 3D depth sensor — all doing double obligation for selfies and common pictures.

Past the standout design, the A80 provided a Snapdragon 730 chip, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and 25W quick charging. Nevertheless, it lacked two fan favourite options that may proceed to fade from high-end telephones: a microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The cellphone launched at round £616 (round $780) by way of UK retailers, making it considerably costlier than its sibling, the Galaxy A70. Whereas questions on long-term sturdiness hovered over the flip mechanism, the A80 stays one in every of Samsung’s boldest designs that by no means formally landed within the US.

The Galaxy M51 wasn’t flashy, nevertheless it was a midrange monster the place it counted: battery life. Samsung packed an enormous 7,000mAh battery inside, making it the most important capability the corporate had ever put in a cellphone on the time. It additionally mixed a Snapdragon 730G chip with a 6.7-inch AMOLED show and 25W quick charging. A full top-up nonetheless took round two hours, however the M51 delivered endurance most telephones may solely dream of.

The gadget additionally provided a succesful quad-camera setup, together with a 64MP foremost sensor, and it held its personal normally efficiency checks. Whereas it wasn’t formally bought within the US, it may have simply discovered a house amongst patrons who prioritized sensible specs over flashy extras.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Particular Version was a premium iteration of its foldable lineup of telephones, launched solely in South Korea and China. This mannequin stood out with its slimmer and lighter design, measuring simply 10.6mm thick when folded and weighing 236 grams, making it extra transportable than its commonplace counterpart.

The gadget featured an 8-inch foremost show and a 6.5-inch cowl display, each barely bigger than these on the common Z Fold 6. A major improve was the 200MP foremost digicam, changing the 50MP sensor present in the usual mannequin. Underneath the hood, it housed the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Nevertheless, to realize its modern profile, Samsung omitted S Pen help.

Priced at roughly KRW 2,789,600 (round $2,035), the Particular Version provided a mix of efficiency and exclusivity, although it remained out of attain for a lot of resulting from its restricted regional availability.

We had been shocked to find what number of telephones Samsung has withheld from the US through the years, generally as a result of they had been designed for particular areas and generally as a result of they had been just a bit too uncommon. Past those we’ve already highlighted, there have been loads extra we may have included, from rugged Xcover fashions to different battery monsters just like the Galaxy F62 or experiments just like the Tizen-powered Galaxy Z3.

Listed below are a couple of extra fascinating examples that deserve a nod.

Samsung Galaxy Okay Zoom (2014)

The Galaxy Okay Zoom was half smartphone and half point-and-shoot digicam. It packed a 10x optical zoom lens that bodily prolonged from the physique, making it lower than pocket-friendly however genuinely spectacular. It was one in every of Samsung’s extra daring experiments, although it by no means formally made it to the US.

Samsung Galaxy A55 (2024)

The Galaxy A55 provided a metallic body, stable efficiency, and a beautiful show — exactly the sort of midrange cellphone that normally sells nicely within the US. Nevertheless, Samsung broke its sample by skipping a US launch, leaving patrons with no pure successor to the favored A54.

Samsung Galaxy Beam and Beam 2 (2012/2014)

Want a built-in projector in your cellphone? Samsung thought you may. The Galaxy Beam sequence may challenge movies and displays straight onto a wall. It wasn’t precisely a best-seller, nevertheless it was one in every of Samsung’s extra charmingly bizarre concepts and one which by no means took off exterior of Asia.

Have been there every other fascinating Samsung telephones you as soon as had a watch on, however by no means bought an opportunity to purchase within the US? Tell us within the feedback.