Seoul, Feb 26 (IANS): Samsung Electronics has released its Galaxy S22 smartphones and Galaxy Tab S8 series in South Korea and some 40 other countries.

On February 10, the world's largest smartphone maker unveiled its flagship Galaxy S series fitted with stronger chips, eco-friendly features and upgraded camera performance that overcomes some of the challenges of shooting at night.

Samsung Electronics said its latest product series saw more preorders within the first week than any other Samsung smartphone and tablet to date.

Preorders for the Galaxy S22 series -- Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus and Galaxy S22 Ultra -- have more than doubled those of its predecessor, the Galaxy S21 series.

In South Korea, preorders, which ran from February 14-21, came to 1.02 million units. The company did not disclose data on global preorders.

Among the three, the Ultra model was the most popular, taking up more than 60 per cent of the preorder volume, Samsung said. The model comes with a built-in S Pen for the first time for a Galaxy phone, effectively succeeding the Galaxy Note line.

The Galaxy Tab S8 series also received more than twice as many preorders as its previous Galaxy Tab S7 series. Half of the preorders were made for the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, reports Yonhap news agency.

Samsung used recycled plastic materials, such as discarded fishing nets, as parts for the Galaxy S22 series, to expand the use of eco-conscious materials and make its business more environmentally friendly.

The company said it will further expand sales of the Galaxy S22 smartphones and Galaxy Tab S8 series to some 130 countries by mid-March.