Samsung's always been one of the most diverse smartphone manufacturers. Even today, the company has the most expansive handset portfolio among all other OEMs, offering devices ranging from the low-cost Galaxy A series to the Galaxy S and foldable phones.
Likewise, Samsung is one of the most daring OEMs when it comes to experimenting with color options. Across the Galaxy S, Note, A, and foldable phone lineups, Samsung's offered some of the most unusual, unique, or rare colors. Some reappeared throughout the years in one form or another, while others have remained a product of their times.
Pink Galaxy S2
The pink Galaxy S2 is one of the rarest Samsung smartphones ever produced. The color was not available at launch. It was added to the Galaxy S2 palette post-launch and released only in select markets, which makes it almost impossible to track.
The Galaxy S2 in pink debuted in South Korea, but old reports say it also landed in Europe, or at least in Sweden, through mobile carrier Three. It's not the only pink Samsung phone, but seeing one is almost like seeing a pink unicorn.
Amber Brown and Garnet Red Galaxy S3
Although probably not the first brown and red phone Samsung ever produced, the Galaxy S3 in Amber Brown and Garnet Red paved the way for future models to boast similar colors. And they're certainly rare.
Samsung released these two colors a few months after the original Galaxy S3 launch, the latter of which took place in May 2012. The colors weren't available everywhere either, which helped create an even stronger sense of uniqueness and rarity over time.
The La Fleur Collection
Samsung's La Fleur collection is one of the more unusual releases in the company's history. It doesn't pertain to a single phone but several, including the Galaxy S3 and S3 Mini, the Galaxy Ace 2, Galaxy Ace Duos, and Galaxy S Duos.
La Fleur smartphones came in red or white and had a floral graphic on the back panel and screen bezels. Indeed, the La Fleur collection was released when bezels were big enough to accommodate logos and other graphics.
Samsung released the floral smartphone color scheme in 2013 around Valentine's Day, and they must've made great gifts for some couples a decade ago. Perhaps they even helped push some relationships to the next level.
Purple Mirage and Pink Twilight Galaxy S4
The Galaxy S4 was released a decade ago, in April 2013. And if you were around smartphones back then, chances are you remember the Galaxy S4 in White Frost or Arctic Blue. Those were the most common color options, after all. However, Samsung had quite a few surprises in store for its S4 flagship.
A few months after releasing the Galaxy S4, Samsung announced what would become two of the rarest colors in the S4's history: Purple Mirage and Pink Twilight. These bold color options for the Galaxy S4 debuted in Taiwan in July 2013.
Black Edition Galaxy S4 and S4 Mini
The Black Edition Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Mini are not just the same standard devices painted black, and that's why they stand apart from most other limited-edition color options.
Rather than just getting a new paint job, the Black Edition devices also received a leather back panel.
The standard phones — and even the aforementioned Purple Mirage and Pink Twilight models — had a glossy finish. Samsung took the idea of a special edition release to the next level by changing the Galaxy S4 and S4 Mini's exterior design to such a degree.
The company announced the Black Edition Galaxy S4 and S4 Mini in February 2014, almost a year after the launch of the original S4 flagship phone. However, hardware specs were unchanged.
Orange Flare Galaxy S4 Active
Samsung released the Galaxy S4 Active in the summer of 2013 in three color options: Urban Grey, Dive Blue, and Orange Flare. Of the three colors, the latter two stood out, but Orange Flare stood out even more.
Not many Galaxy devices have an orange color, and a bright finish for a rugged phone like the Galaxy S4 Active seemed even more unusual. But we believe Orange Flare was a fantastic choice for the rugged Galaxy S4 Active. It's just a bit of a shame that Samsung's recent colors for its rugged phones aren't nearly as bold.
Copper Gold Galaxy S5 (a.k.a. the Band-Aid)
In short, the Galaxy S5 was a Snapdragon-only phone and was the first in the standard S series (no Active) to introduce an IP67 dust and water-resistance rating. It was also the first to have a fingerprint sensor. Despite these advancements, the thing that many people remember most about the Galaxy S5 is its design and Copper Gold color option.
Samsung was more experimental than usual with the Galaxy S5's design and gave the phone a dimpled back panel. It didn't look bad, but when combined with the Copper Gold color, it brought about images of adhesive bandages. Hence, it earned the nickname Galaxy S5 Band-Aid.
The Galaxy S5 Gold, or what I call the Galaxy S5 Band-Aid pic.twitter.com/xU5fzvWrvz
— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) February 24, 2014
Nevertheless, the Galaxy S5 was a success, and years after its release, it was still the most popular Samsung smartphone in the USA.
Emerald Green Galaxy S6 Edge
Green is one of the recurring colors in Samsung phones, and the Emerald Green Galaxy S6 Edge sure stood out. The Emerald Green color was available only for the Edge model and was missing from the standard Galaxy S6 and even the Edge+ variant. It was also announced a couple of months after the phones became official.
By the way, the Galaxy S6 was Samsung's first multi-flagship series. Before it, there was only one Galaxy S flagship released at a time — not counting spin-offs like Mini and Active devices. Nowadays, even though the “Edge” brand disappeared, every Galaxy S flagship series is expected to consist of three models.
Variations of Emerald Green made a comeback in recent years with the release of the matte green Galaxy S22 and S23. Back in 2015, Samsung explained that the Emerald Green color embodies its design philosophy where “Beauty meets Purpose” and represents new life and new beginnings.
Camouflage Galaxy S Active models
Camouflage colors are not very widespread, but there was a time when Samsung used them for its Active smartphone series for a few consecutive years.
After trying the colorful, stand-out approach with the Orange Flare and Dive Blue Galaxy S4 Active, the company changed its tune for subsequent models.
Samsung's rugged Galaxy S5 Active, Galaxy S6 Active, and Galaxy S7 Active all had at least one camo color option. They ranged from green to gray and navy blue.
Burgundy Red Galaxy S8
By 2017, red wasn't one of the most unusual colors in Samsung's smartphone portfolio. Nevertheless, the Burgundy Red Galaxy S8 deserves to be on this list for its exclusivity and rarity alone.
The Galaxy S8 debuted in late March 2017, but roughly eight months later, Samsung decided to add the Burgundy Red color option to the list.
At first, Samsung released the Burgundy Red Galaxy S8 in South Korea in late November 2017. Then the phone became available in select markets in limited quantities. As such, it is among the rarer red Galaxy S phone-color combinations ever produced.
It's worth noting that Samsung also released the Burgundy Red and Sunrise Gold color options for the 2018 Galaxy S9 and S9+. However, these colors were unveiled only a couple of months after the S9's release. They didn't come to the market as late as Burgundy Red for the Galaxy S8 did.
Canary Yellow Galaxy S10e was years ahead of the iPhone 14
Yellow may be one of the rarest smartphone colors in general, so it is no wonder why Apple made a big deal about its new yellow color for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. But Apple was not the first to try to capitalize on the rarity of the yellow color. Samsung did it years before the iPhone 14 was released.
Enter Canary Yellow – a bright color option exclusive to the smaller Galaxy S10e. Indeed, Samsung made this color available only for the entry-level Galax S10 variant. So it looks like Apple took inspiration even from that, as its yellow color is not available for higher-end iPhone 14 variants either.
Regardless of who took inspiration from whom, the Canary Yellow Galaxy S10e will always stand out in Samsung's smartphone portfolio. Not many Galaxy phones get close to offering a bright yellow color, and even the Lime flavor on the Galaxy A34 is not as vibrant as the S10e's Canary Yellow.
Prism White Galaxy S10 and Crown Silver S10 5G
With the release of the Galaxy S10 series, Samsung also started experimenting more with refractive colors and finishes. This trend culminated with the Galaxy Note 10, which we'll have a closer look at below, but it began with the Prism White Galaxy S10 and the Crown Silver Galaxy S10 5G.
Prism White was a Galaxy S10 glossy white color with pearlescent characteristics that revealed undertones of flamingo pink and turquoise when the light hit it at certain angles. Crown Silver was similar but a bit darker and had blue-gray and purple hues when viewed off-angle.
Cardinal Red Galaxy S10 and S10+
Yet another reason why the Galaxy S10 and S10+ make it on this list again is Cardinal Red. Samsung released this color option months after the Galaxy S10 series debuted in February 2019.
Cardinal Red might be one of the most striking shades of red Samsung ever used for its Galaxy phones. This color option was available only for the Galaxy S10 and S10+ in select European markets. In addition, the color was applied only to the 128GB models, which further contributes to its rarity.
Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition
As the name implies, the Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition is not just a color option. It's the result of a collaboration with the K-Pop band BTS and was sold in limited markets in a special bundle that included decorative stickers and photo cards featuring BTS members.
The official color of the Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition is Haze Purple. It's a pearlescent color dominated by purple with hints of blue-gray. This special edition Galaxy S20+ also had a themed live wallpaper, the BTS logo on the back panel, and a purple heart symbol on the rear-facing camera array.
In addition to the phone, Samsung also offered matching solid purple Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition earbuds.
Galaxy S22 series online-exclusive colors
For the Galaxy S22 series, Samsung announced a handful of online-exclusive colors available only through its e-shop in select markets across North America, Europe, and Asia.
The Galaxy S22 and S22+ got four colors, namely: Graphite, Cream, Violet, and Sky Blue.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S22 Ultra received three online-exclusive colors, including Graphite, Red, and Sky Blue. And one of the more interesting characteristics of these online-exclusive colors is that they have black frames, creating a nice contrast with the rest of the device. The same color schemes are carried over to the S Pens.
Galaxy S23 series online-exclusive colors
Like the Galaxy S22 lineup, the follow-up Galaxy S23 series also got a handful of online-exclusive color options available in select regions.
The S23 series received a total of four exclusive color options, two of which are shared between the flat Galaxy S23/S23+ and the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The shared color options are Gray with a black frame and Light Green with a silver frame. In addition, the Galaxy S23 Ultra benefit from a couple of unique color options that were not available for the rest of the series, including Light Blue with a silver frame and Red with a black frame.
This time, unlike with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the S Pens were all black with a gray or silver clicker button and didn't share the exclusive color of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Hot Pink Galaxy Note 2 for Valentine's Day
Half a year after Samsung released the Galaxy Note 2, the company announced a Hot Pink color option for the device to celebrate Valentine's Day. But it wasn't released everywhere, with the global announcement mentioning only Taiwan.
Aside from the obvious hot pink color, another unique thing about this release is that Samsung pre-loaded this Galaxy Note 2 edition with romantic quotes, a Valentine's Day live wallpaper, and a love calculator app.
The Hot Pink Galaxy Note 2 even shipped with a Valentine Radio app. It offered instant access to nearly 40 radio stations that streamed romantic music for couples to enjoy.
Green Galaxy Note 3 Neo / Neo Duos
The Galaxy Note 3 Neo / Note 3 Neo Duos is one of Samsung's earliest examples of a mint green smartphone. The device was announced in January 2014, which admittedly is a very unusual launch timeframe for a Galaxy Note device. But, it was a more cost-conscious “Neo” variant.
The phone came in a few color options, but there's something about this mint green flavor that makes it memorable. Perhaps it is the fact that the phone has a leather back cover, and it's not a very common material and color combination.
Pink leather Galaxy Notes
Several Galaxy smartphones had a pink color, and several others had a leather back. But speaking of unusual combinations, Samsung wrapped quite a few Galaxy Notes in pink leather.
The Galaxy Note 3, Note 3 Neo, Note 4, and Note 4 Duos all had this rare color and material combination of pink and stitched leather.
It's not something you see every day in the mobile world, but Samsung certainly appears to have gone through a phase 10 years ago.
Needless to say, we don't see the company releasing any more leather-wrapped pink phones in the foreseeable future, which makes these pink Galaxy Note variants quite special in their own way.
Aura Glow Galaxy Note 10
The Aura Glow Galaxy Note 10 (and Note 10+) may have been the pinnacle of Samsung's refractive smartphone colors. Aura Glow resembled the Galaxy S10's refractive (and reflective) colors, except, this time, Samsung turned it up to eleven.
From some angles and in certain lighting conditions, the Galaxy Note 10 in Aura Glow looked light-gray and was highly reflective, similar to a mirror. But twisting the phone at an angle would reveal all sorts of colors, similar to a hologram, especially in direct sunlight.
The Note 10's back panel could turn orange, blue, purple, yellow, green etc. Or, more specifically, all of the above. The Aura Glow Galaxy Note 10 rarely appeared to have a single color but a multitude at once.
Many customers chose Aura Glow when they bought the Galaxy Note 10, so it's far from the rarest color. But it is one of Samsung's least cookie-cutter smartphone paint jobs ever created.
Aura Pink and Aura Red Galaxy Note 10
Among the rarer Galaxy Note 10 color options are Aura Pink and Aura Red. Samsung announced these color options for the United States in November 2019, just in time for the holiday shopping season.
The Aura Pink and Red color options were available at Samsung's online shop for only the standard Note 10, excluding the Note 10+ and Note 10+ 5G.
Aura Pink was far from the brightest shade of Pink Samsung used. It was rather festive and had notes of brown and cinnamon. Meanwhile, Aura Red was one of Samsung's deeper red color options, somewhat resembling Cardinal Red for the Galaxy S10 but less bright.
And unlike Aura Glow, these pink and red colors were not as reflective and didn't refract light the same way. They were purer colors. And given their limited availability, they were never easy to get a hold of.
Galaxy Note 10+ Star Wars Special Edition
Two galaxies united in celebration of the release of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: the Samsung Galaxy, and “a galaxy far, far away.” That is more or less what the marketing material for the Galaxy Note 10+ Star Wars Special Edition said back in 2019.
The Star Wars-themed Galaxy Note 10+ is Sith-inspired and has a black back panel adorned with the logo of the First Order. It also has a red camera contour, red side keys, and a red S Pen with a black clicker button.
The color scheme fits the Galaxy Note 10+, and the phone was also accompanied by a pair of Galaxy Buds and other accessories that shared the same colors. The Star Wars Special Edition was released in select markets and wasn't on sale for long.
Mystic Red Galaxy Note 20 and Mystic White Galaxy Z Flip 5G
Although the Galaxy Note 20 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5G are not at all alike, Samsung USA announced the Mystic Red and Mystic White color options for these two devices on the same date in November 2020.
In fact, the Red Note was made available in Korea before its US release. But as far as Western markets go, the Mystic Red Galaxy Note 20 and the Mystic White Galaxy Z Flip 5G were unveiled in the USA ahead of the 2020 holiday season. The color combination of red and white was fitting for the time of the year.
The Mystic color options were available in limited quantities and shipped to customers starting December 8. The phones were sold unlocked and with a carrier contract on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and US Cellular networks.
Bespoke Edition Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Flip 4
Samsung's Bespoke Edition Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Flip 4 are something special. Not only is the Bespoke customization service available in just a handful of markets, but the fact that the flip phones have two back panels makes it possible for customers to pick from a wide variety of color combinations.
Customers could purchase the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition in one of 49 color combinations. For the Galaxy Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition, Samsung increased the number of color combinations to a whopping 75 and also made the service available in 28 countries.
Not many Samsung devices have access to the Bespoke customization platform, but the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Z Flip 4 took full advantage of this fantastic program.
Thom Browne Edition foldable phones
Samsung partnered with the fashion brand Thom Browne in early 2020 and released the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition. The phone was gray and featured the Americana red-white-blue stripe. This special edition Flip was part of a bundle, which also included a pair of Galaxy Buds+ and the Galaxy Watch Active 3 — all sharing the same color scheme.
But the Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition was only the beginning of a multi-season partnership. Later in 2020, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition, which had a similar color scheme and accompanying accessories as the Galaxy Z Flip.
One year later, Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 Thom Browne Editions, this time featuring the red-white-blue Americana stripe on a white background.
These phones have always been offered as a product bundle rather than being sold independently. Because of this approach and the Thom Browne label, they were quite a bit more expensive than the regular foldable phones, which earned them exclusivity points.
Maison Margiela Galaxy Z Flip 4
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 sparked another fashion collaboration for Samsung, this time with Parisian haute couture house Maison Margiela.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 Maison Margiela edition was announced in November 2022 and was released a month later only in Hong Kong, France, and South Korea.
This fashionable rare edition marked the (re)return of the white color option for the Galaxy Z Flip series. However, the Maison Margiela Edition also had some subtle gray design elements that offered a sort of rough preview into the phone's internal design and printed circuit board layout. It certainly is one of the more unique and rare colors ever created for Galaxy phones.
Burgundy Galaxy Z Fold 4
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 was announced in three standard color options, but similar to the Galaxy S lineup, the premium foldable phone also received an online-exclusive flavor.
Prospective Galaxy Z Fold 4 buyers could only get the Burgundy option at Samsung's online store, but they didn't have to pay extra for the exclusivity.
The phone has a matte finish and carries the Burgundy color all around. The Burgundy color dominates the device's back panels, the metal frame, and the camera contour cutout.
Honorable mentions: Multi-colored Galaxy A / M / F series and the Galaxy J4+
Samsung usually sells Galaxy F, M, and Galaxy A phones like hotcakes. Some of the company's best-selling phones are from the Galaxy A series. Therefore, the colors of these phones are anything but hard to find. However, that doesn't mean they're always bland.
Past generation Galaxy F, M, and A phones have had some of the most creative colors, often involving gradients, prismatic patterns, dual-tone color schemes, and other unusual designs.
And one last honorable mention goes to the Galaxy J4+ for the simple fact that it might be the pinkest smartphone Samsung ever produced. Whether or not the color fits the phone is debatable, but it is so pink that it looks more like a piece of candy than a mobile device, and that is at least one interesting trait and a potential conversation starter.
