The Samsung Galaxy S23 leaks have revealed a lot about the incoming flagship phone series, but one important new detail has just been made official – Samsung has revealed the new 'Over the Horizon' ringtone for the S23 series.
Update: the new phones have now been announced, and we’ve tried them! Read our Samsung Galaxy S23 review for our early impressions of the most affordable option, our Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus review for our thorough look at the bigger version, or our full Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra review for our opinion on the biggest, fanciest and most expensive model.
This official tune for the Samsung Galaxy S series gets a new interpretation every year. And this time it's been composed by Yaeji, a Korean-American DJ and producer who melds the worlds of pop, house and hip hop.
As you'll hear by listening to it below, the new tune is a very retro-flavored slice of lo-fi loveliness – or perhaps a disappointment compared to "the masterpiece versions of 2015-2022", as one YouTube commenter put it. You can't please everyone.
The new ringtone, which you'll no doubt hear on a train near you very soon, is certainly a gear change from the piano jazz sounds of last year's S22 version. Samsung says the Nintendo-style remix "evokes the universal feelings of hope and joy", even if the early reaction isn't quite as universally positive as that description.
We rather like it – and if you're partial to lo-fi pop, retro synths and stop-motion animation, the official video below could be the work soundtrack you need to get you through to Samsung's Unpacked event, which we'll covering in our Samsung Galaxy S23 event live blog.
Samsung's 'Over the Horizon' theme dates all the way back to Samsung Galaxy S2 in 2011 – and while some may roll their eyes at the concept of ringtones as music, the tune has been reimagined by some critically-acclaimed musicians, including Jacob Collier and, this year, Yaeji.
Yaeji is known to be a chameleon-like DJ who combines elements of pop, hip hop and house, most obviously in her biggest song Raingurl (83 million Spotify plays and counting). Like Samsung, Yaeji also has South Korean roots, having gone to school there in her early years before moving back to the US.
Yaeji's version of 'Over the Horizon' is certainly distinct, and does have more playfulness than some of Samsung's recent jingles, which have embraced a more serious, nature-inspired ambience.
If you're interested in listening to how the six-note motif has been reinterpreted over the years, check out our potted history of 'Over the Horizon', complete with YouTube videos of every song, alongside our own liner notes.
