How is phishing different from general spam?

Phishing is intended to acquire data, most often credentials or other information that will be useful to the attacker. Spam is a broader term for unwanted email, although the term is often generally used to describe unwanted communications. Spear phishing targets specific individuals, whereas whaling targets important people in an organization. Smishing is sent via SMS (text message). Malware can be sent in any of these instances, but there is not a specific related term that means “spam with malware in it.”