The lens found inside the Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus is equipped with magnets designed to line up with copper coils surrounding the imaging mechanism, with their natural properties then being used for easily adjusting the aperture of the glass via a physical switch, as revealed by a new smartphone teardown performed by Zack Nelson on his popular YouTube channel JerryRigEverything. Following a comprehensive durability test that the Galaxy S9 passed with flying colors, Nelson dug into Samsung’s latest flagship and revealed that the South Korean phone maker largely opted for the same component layout utilized for the Galaxy S8 lineup last year.
As such, the device is moderately difficult to repair relative to its Android-powered peers, with that same conclusion also being suggested by a number of previous teardowns of the new flagships. The mechanism Samsung is using for adjusting the aperture of the 12-megapixel camera is an industry first, with no original equipment manufacturer previously managing to commercialize a truly mobile variable-aperture lens. The primary camera has optical image stabilization, the teardown reveals, whereas the secondary 12-megapixel module found exclusively on the Galaxy S9 Plus is also stabilized in the same manner but isn’t covered by the video seen below.
Samsung is advertising the imaging capabilities of the Galaxy S9 series as one of its main selling points, being quick to boast about the fact that the f/1.5 f-stop supported by its new devices is the brightest one in the industry so far. The company previously tested the same technology with its W2018 flip phone launched exclusively in China in early December and is expected to implement similar solutions into all of its Android flagships going forward, starting with the Galaxy Note 9. The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus are currently nearing the end of their two-week pre-order period and are scheduled to be officially released on a global level this Friday, March 16. Consumers who placed advanced orders on either device with one of Samsung’s licensed wireless carrier partners have already been receiving their handsets since last week.