How Samsung Came From Nowhere To Ambush Apple And Become The World's Biggest Smartphone Seller

In fact, it started as a dried fish exporter in Korea way back in 1938.

But it wasn't until recently that Samsung's name started being used in the same breath as tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon.

Most of that is thanks to Samsung's wildly popular and profitable mobile division that makes smartphones and tablets. What was once a run-of-the-mill handset maker is now second in brand power only to Apple.

And by many estimates, Samsung now ships more smartphones than any other manufacturer.

As Samsung prepares to announce its latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S4, this week, we took a look at how it got to where it is today.