Deciphering your Samsung phone number

What is the purpose of this number ?

At Samsung, the reference number starts with SM, followed by several numbers and letters. It corresponds to the model of the phone and provides information about some of its features.

We'll explain what these numbers and letters mean.

Let's take an example. Here is the reference for a Samsung S24:

SM-S921B-DS

• "SM"Samsung Mobile" stands for the brand and type of device: a Samsung brand phone.

• The "S" (S921B) corresponds to the series. The S refers to the S series.

• • For the A series, the reference will therefore begin with A, for the F series with an F, and for the Z Flip series with a Z etc..,
  • For this part of the reference number, it should be noted that for the S series, it was the letter G that designated the series up to model S21. From the S22 series onwards, Samsung has decided to change the G to S for all S series models.

• The first number which follows, in this case the 9 (S921B) corresponds to the range, called Firmware.
  • This number can start with 9,7,5,3,1 or 0,
  • The higher the number, the more high-end your phone, and vice versa. The range level indicates the quality of the materials used and its performance,
  • For our example model, the S24, the 9 indicates that it is one of the brand's top-of-the-range models.

• The second number, here the 2 (S921B), indicates the generation smartphone.
  
  • On the oldest models, the S7 series indicates a 3, the S8 series a 5, the S9 series a 6, the S10 series a 7, the S20 series an 8 and the S21 series a 9,
  • The counters have been reset to zero from the S22 series, which starts with zero. The S23 series starts with a 1, so the S24 series starts with a 2. The S25 series should therefore indicate the number 3.

• The third number, here the 1 (S921B), indicates the connectivity.
  • If the number is between 0 and 5, the model is a 4G,
  • If the number is a 1, 6 or 8, it is a 5G model,
  • Our example model, the S24, is therefore a 5G model.

• And finally.., the last letter of our suite, here the B (S921B), corresponds The market region for which your smartphone is intended. 
  • The B indicates that the phone has been designed with 5G coverage for international use,
  • If the B is followed by an XX, this means that the smartphone is designed for the European region and other international markets,
  • The QS, on the other hand, refers mainly to the United States region.
  • This information is not insignificant, as network coverage can vary from one region of the world to another.
    • For example, if you buy your phone online and the network coverage is not suitable for the area where you live, you may experience network problems.
    • If you change any part of your phone (particularly the screen), you may also experience network problems later on. Find out more here, we wrote an article on this subject.

• Finally, the letters DS at the end of the model number stand for 'Dual SIM', indicating that your Samsung has a dual SIM drawer.