What is the difference between Samsung and Android phones?

If you are not tech-savvy, you can easily get confused about different operating systems, manufacturers, device models, and specifications. One such example is that people consider “Samsung” and “Android” to be synonymous, which is not entirely correct. Let’s find out the difference between Samsung and Android phones through the following article!

Samsung phones running Android operating system

Android is a mobile operating system, while Samsung makes phones and tablets that run on Android. Simply put, Android provides the platform for your Samsung phone to run apps and services.

Just like Windows and macOS are desktop operating systems, Android is one of the two main operating systems for mobile devices. The other is Apple's iOS, which runs on the iPhone.

However, other smartphone operating systems still exist. Some are no longer available and are no longer being developed, including Windows Mobile, BlackBerry OS, and Tizen.

Note that Android is not a company and does not make smartphones, just like Windows is not a company and Microsoft is.

Manufacturers often bundle Google Mobile Services (GMS) with Android, providing Google-licensed interfaces and apps like Google Search and Google Chrome. However, Android and GMS are not inherently linked; phones can run Android but still use proprietary apps and interfaces.

Google owns and develops Android, but the operating system itself is open source and free for other developers to use and customize.

How are Samsung phones different from other Android devices?

Now that we’ve established that Android is an operating system, how does Samsung customize it? Samsung is a global electronics company that manufactures devices like displays, smart home appliances, and TVs. It also manufactures and sells smartphones, tablets, and other consumer electronics.

Samsung sells its smartphones under the “Galaxy” brand, which is divided into product lines like the Galaxy Z (foldable devices) and the Galaxy S (high-end, high-performance devices). Although Samsung has experimented with other mobile operating systems, all Samsung Galaxy smartphones currently run the Android operating system.

One thing that sets Samsung phones apart from other Android phones is One UI (formerly known as Samsung Experience and TouchWiz). One UI is a custom “skin” or software layer that Samsung adds on top of Android to make its Galaxy devices stand out from the crowd.

One UI is considered one of the best Android skins because it has many features, customization options, and Samsung apps and services that Android doesn't offer. Some of these features include Edge Panels, Modes and Routines, Secure Folder, and the Bixby voice assistant. In fact, many of Samsung's software innovations have been baked into the core Android experience.

Are all Android phones the same?

No, all Android phones are not the same. Samsung is just one of many companies that use Android for their devices. Other major smartphone manufacturers include Google, Sony, Motorola, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo.

Just like Samsung, all of these major smartphone manufacturers add their own custom skins on top of Android. This helps them differentiate their devices, stand out from the competition, and offer something unique to their customers.

Some Android skins are primarily about aesthetics, while others focus on providing more functionality. You can learn all about Android skins and why companies prefer them over Stock Android .

The core, unmodified Android experience developed by Google is called “Stock Android.” It used to be rare to find a phone that offered the Stock Android experience. These days, it’s a bit more common, especially with Google’s Pixel phones competing with Samsung’s offerings.

Do Samsung phones evolve with Android?

Android is an ever-evolving operating system. Google releases a new major version every year. For a long time, Android named its versions after desserts (Nougat, Oreo, Pie), but now it's naming them numerically, like Android 13 and Android 14 .

As Android evolves, so does Samsung’s One UI. Samsung generally releases a new major version of One UI for every major Android update, but the company also releases minor updates during that cycle. For example, the One UI 6 update has many features built on Android 14, but the newer One UI 6.1 update unlocks Galaxy AI features on older Samsung phones.

Your Samsung phone won’t get Android or One UI updates indefinitely. Samsung typically supports its new devices with these major updates for four years after they’re released. After that, your phone will only get important security updates, though those updates will eventually stop.

It's worth noting that Samsung is improving on the software support front, promising seven years of Android updates and major security updates for the entire Galaxy S24 lineup.

However, since Samsung phones use a custom interface, they won't get updates as quickly as Google Pixel phones running stock Android. Also, how quickly you get the One UI update depends on your location and phone carrier.

Does Samsung make the best Android phone?

Now that you know the difference between Samsung and Android, should you buy a Samsung phone that uses Android? That comes down to personal preference, although there are good reasons why Samsung sells the majority of Android phones. According to Statcounter, Samsung holds 23.69% of the global smartphone market share at the time of writing, second only to Apple.

There are plenty of Samsung phones to suit every budget; if you can afford it, try to opt for the Galaxy S series which benefits from the best hardware, although the Galaxy A series is more affordable without sacrificing too many features.

However, if you're not a big fan of Samsung's custom One UI interface, consider checking out other manufacturers. The Google Pixel phones, with their stock Android experience, might be for you. Alternatively, you could ditch Android altogether and go with an iPhone — Apple develops both hardware and software with all the quality you'd expect from the company.

The Galaxy S series was launched in 2010, with the first phone in the series selling over 20 million units. Although Samsung stumbled along the way, the company has since picked itself back up and is never afraid to innovate. Whether you want a flat screen, a curved screen, or a foldable phone, Samsung has something for you.