Samsung Galaxy S9+ Teardown

Written By: Adam O'Camb
Published: 16/03/18
  • Comments: 104

Samsung Galaxy S9+ Teardown

Published: 16/03/18

Teardown

Introduction

While phone makers and operating system developers of dubious numeracy skip straight from eight to ten, Samsung stays strong and gives us the Samsung Galaxy S9+ (sans notch, even). Only teardown will tell if this phone is a true contender, or just a weird AR Emoji machine.

We've also got a teardown of the smaller, standard Galaxy S9—check it out!

There's way more to iFixit than just teardowns! Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay up-to-date on all things tech!

  1. vWnMJrVEyIdLSGsi
    vWnMJrVEyIdLSGsi
    4AAKT6BlNvG2Pqp3

    • The S9+ bumps specs, and the number of aperture sizes. Here's what we know:

    • Notchless 6.2" AMOLED Display with resolution of 2960 × 1440 (~530 ppi)

    • Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 or Samsung’s own Exynos 9810, depending on location

    • 12 MP OIS dual-aperture main camera—f/1.5 and f/2.4 modes—plus a 12 MP OIS secondary camera and an 8 MP selfie cam

    • Headphone jack and microSD slot

    • IP68 water/dust-proofing rating

    • Android 8.0 Oreo

  2. NtPxNS3YjKAfIDpM
    NtPxNS3YjKAfIDpM
    TXectNlxYaChAOYF

    • Topside, we find the standard SIM slot, and a slightly rearranged camera/fingerprint sensor array. Say goodbye to smudgy lenses!

    • The bottom end looks almost the same as the S8—yes, that means the 3.5 mm audio jack lives!

    • At first glance , the speaker grille seems to be replaced with a port—but no, that's still a grille, with the mesh tucked wayyy back there. Is there a benefit to speaker holes you can fill with lint?

    • As if the SIM-eject-impersonating microphone hole topside wasn't enough, now we've got a false charging port to match.

    It's likely that the deeper speaker cavity helps with low-end part of the audio output as it was designed to do. The top speaker is designed to be more of a tweeter, handling mids and highs.

    Akram Ali -

    Or maybe it’s a lint trap!!!! No reason and no effect to have the mesh near the outside edge. It wouldn’t change the sound at all.

    JBDragon -

    I haven’t had any problems with lint on my iPhone lightning port or USB-C port… I think you’re just nit-picking. Also aren’t you on the Verge forums? You have debates about iPhone X and Samsung…

    djlobb01 -

    “SIM-eject-impersonating microphone hole topside” … what happens if an owner mistakenly uses the Sim eject push pin tool in this hole? I did, and felt something give, but havent noticed any problems yet.

    Oopsy -

    I too accidentally made this mistake out of excitement. No noticeable problems at the moment, but I have no idea how to test a secondary microphone.

    Brad Maloy -

    It’s likely that you just bumped a rubber seal in that aperture, you probably won’t notice microphone performance changes (it’s mostly in charge of hearing ambient noise). There’s a chance you might have reduced waterproofing. It depends on how tough a poke you gave it, but you’re probably fairly safe =)

    Sam Goldheart -

    Is anyone else bothered that the speaker, charging port, and headphone jack aren’t lined up straight?

    Zach Heaton -

    I too made the same mistake of poking a pin into the mic hole. I pushed with enough force tat you would think it needed to eject a sin tray. I didn’t notice any give or sounds when I poked it. No noticeable damage or sound issues, just paranoid that a year down the road it’s going to have issues. (Anxiety) I can’t tell enough from the pics to see what lines up with the hole .

    I feel like such a dummy

    Jake Reily -

    I alo poked the sim eject tool into the hole. I assumed it was either the sim tray or a similar setup for the micro SD card. I’ve had the phone for less than a day and I’m already worried that I’ve damaged it. Unlike other people who feel stupid for doing this, I’m annoyed at Samsung. If you design a car with something that looks like a steering wheel but is actually a wheel release handle, you are inevitably going to get lots of wheels falling of cars. Holes like this have been used for decades to reset electronic equipment, replace SIMs and eject CD drives etc - they have become a standard visual cue that all the highly paid designers at Samsung surely understand. At the very least, the design flaw should have been spotted after shipping and the phones should ship with a yellow hard to remove warning sticker telling people not to poke that hole. I’m almost hoping that the phone doesn’t work properly and that I can return it soon under warranty, rather than worry about it for the next few years.

    yehudaharmor -

  3. 4swaVRoTxkGnnfdx
    4swaVRoTxkGnnfdx
    mWeLjGEPwgE2xLsE

    • Admirably, in a sea of iPhone imitators, Samsung stays notchless, and manages some pretty teeny bezels.

    • S9+ featured left and "bezel-less" notched iPhone X on the right.

    • On the backside, the iPhone X camera bump may reach ugly heights, but the S9+ sensor arrangement is more sprawling and awkward looking in comparison.

    • These glass backs are rapidly becoming the industry standard thanks to wireless charging. Cool feature; bad news for butterfingers.

    • Of course, the iPhone 4S had a glass back you could replace in two minutes; we suspect that won't be the case here.

    More “sprawling and awkward looking"… Really? You ooze fanboy so hard it's sad; best you'd literally do deplorable things for a chance at an exclusive, prototype iPhone --sheep.

    You're Amateurs -

    So you are saying that the galaxy s9 plus looks perfect on the back and not at all needing a little diesign tweak? I personally also think that it doen’t look that great

    Zach Heaton -

    Jeez what an embarrassing comment

    Tommy Gurreri -

    The iPhone has the Notch, but you see, there’s BONUS screen on the left and right side of it. Which is wasted space on the Samesung phone, Plus there’s another Black Bar on the bottom of the phone which the iPhone doesn’t have at all. No notch, no nothing. Glass on back was something Apple did long ago on the iPhone 4 and 4S!!! To have FAKE wireless charging, you need to use a non-conductive back. Glass works great for this. Or you go and use Plastic, which I don’t think Apple would use on a high end phone and Samesung has also moved away from on their high end phones. Maybe Ceramic is a option, but more costly. TheiPhone 6 that I have is very slippery and it’s not a glass back. I installed a bulky case to keep it from slipping from my hand.

    JBDragon -

    What exactly is “fake wireless charging?” Go look at how induction charging works and how you don’t need to plug in your phone.

    Calvin H -

    I think he just means inductive charging in general. The term “wireless charging” as applied to current tech is kind of a misnomer since it’s only wireless in a trivial sense—imagine if someone sold you a “wireless router” but you had to physically place your computer on top of it to get a signal. If true long-range wireless charging ever becomes widely available, today’s “wireless charging” may seem like a lot of silly marketing hype in hindsight.

    Jeff Suovanen -

    (In Mr Burns voice) Samesung ey?

    Seriously though, why are you even here??? LOL

    djlobb01 -

  4. wHsbsALQdRRWKIvW
    wHsbsALQdRRWKIvW
    eGHMwHWx3A3rrO4j

    • Before diving in, we call upon our friends at Creative Electron for some high-energy recon.

    • Besides a new dual camera and some shuffling of minor components, things look pretty much the same here as they did last time around.

    • In fact, this battery-surrounded-by-motherboard layout is common in many recent smartphones, with one notable exception.

  5. Joc4P5jBurKHlBTd
    Joc4P5jBurKHlBTd
    DFldtuF2frnTmbdX
    edXZWlGVLSYaxxMW

    • While it's no S4, the S9 is actually a welcome respite from our more recent, destructive teardowns.

    • The standard application of heat and opening pick helps us along, but it's definitely no picnic!

    • Thanks to prior experience—no thanks to Samsung—we are able to safely dispatch the sensor assembly cable with no casualties. Documentation makes the dream work!

  6. yqGBAhRYiUnmjIDR
    yqGBAhRYiUnmjIDR
    JtVJKRXiNTVMWWHP
    4u5qujAQj4riJy5i

    • After navigating a treacherous opening, we find our way into the back of the phone.

    • We head straight to the rear camera to get a look at the fancy new dual aperture camera in action.

    • The camera auto-adjusts the aperture to adjust for low light (at f/1.5 it's got the widest aperture of any phone) while maintaining a more standard (and sharper) f/2.4 for normal photos.

    • Standard camera lenses use at least five aperture blades to keep the aperture roughly circular throughout many f-stop adjustments. This Galaxy's aperture has just two rotating, ring-like blades for its single adjustment.

    I wonder how well the 2 rotating ring blades will hold up over time? It is a moving part on a device that gets a lot of abuse. Far more in general than a Camera From what I’ve heard, it’s more hype than anything on this phone. As in it doesn’t do a whole lot. Will that become a new thing on other phones, or will it go away as a failed experiment? Who knows at this time.

    JBDragon -

  7. jQUdg4HTfgnUIB3p
    jQUdg4HTfgnUIB3p
    tRSa2k4IN1yYCoFP
    uDDac3qw1KEeNKmA

    • The relocated fingerprint sensor becomes our first victim as we pry it from its home. A ring of stickiness keeps the sensor in, and your liquids out.

    • We're a little disappointed Samsung hasn't yet thought up a better way to route that fingerprint sensor cable—it got ensnared in some nasty glue as we pried off the back cover, nearly costing us the sensor. Next year Samsung?

    • Fifteen screws later, the familiar two-piece midframe wafer pops out, with its integrated wireless charging coil, antenna assembly, and lower speaker all aboard.

  8. VYiVSNLUK6FNup6U
    VYiVSNLUK6FNup6U
    opqoIdIRsHddUMHf
    AqKr2u1wAN6yHeWW

    • What do you need to remove a glued-down battery from a Galaxy phone?

    • Option 1: lots of heat, a pry tool, a fire extinguisher, a bucket of sand, and nerves of steel vibranium.

    • Option 2: a syringe loaded with a little iFixit Adhesive Remover.

    • We opt for the latter and splash a bit of the blue stuff into the little tub that cradles the battery. A few minutes later, we have our prize.

    • This here's a 3.85 V, 3500 mAh battery weighing in at 13.48 Wh. Sound familiar?

    • Yep, those are the exact same specs as the battery we found in the S8+ last year... and the infamous Note7.

    • By the way, Samsung really likes to put this sticky black webbing on top of their batteries, and we've never learned why. Give us a shout if you can offer a clue.

    The sticky black webbing is surely something to drive the heat away from the battery, no?

    Gimi -

    “Option 1: lots of heat, a pry tool, a fire extinguisher, a bucket of sand, and nerves of steel vibranium. “

    most likely what I would end up doing.

    Aiden -

    The black sponge tape over the battery is to allow for the miniscule amount of battery expansion that is 100% normal to every aging li-po battery and to not cause damage to the backglass when it eventually needs that space. Case closed.

    You're Amateurs -

    Is that stuff even needed? The battery is glued down so well it’s going no where. So a little gap to allow for expansion shouldn’t hurt things that you need that mat. Who knows, and does it matter?

    JBDragon -

    It's precision engineering, so yes it matters. If you drop your phone the small gap doesn't transfer energy as pushing the battery against the plastic frame does; as lipo(s) expand the high density foam gives way for that expanded space. It's likely on a nano-meter scale, but precision engineered as I said. Such engineering allows for cohesive standards and ability to reverse engineer in the wake of something as large as the Note 7 issue…

    You're Amateurs -

    Is the black webbing conductive?

    michael munroe -

    Can you get the adhesive remover in Australia? I would like to give it a shot

    James Turner -

    Just Use Alcohol or even Orange (not the orange you eat) find it at supermarkets if you can wait a few minutes. I’m inpatient De-Solv-it

    Highly effective solvent-based cleaner

    Natural citrus base

    Safe to use - Not Class 3 Flammable

    No overwhelming vapours

    Australian made

    Used to be sold at Coles now I only find it at Bunnings

    Paul Zacharis -

    Every other phone has pull tabs for the battery. I guess Samsung didn’t get the memo. Looks like I’ll have to invest in this syringe as I plan on having this phone for years to come.

    Psedog -

    Maybe it helps the robot to recognize the boundary of the lipo battery. Samsung may use different suppliers as was the case on note 7

    ooisk44 -

    Samsung engineer: “We do not know how, but the black sticker prevents battery explosion. So we just left it here. Magic.”

    Евгений Фирсов -

    avec juste un sesamo et un peu de chaleur je vous retire la batterie en 2 min sans la tordre ni la boursouffler et l’ecran reste intacte idem pour le cache batterie .

    mercy yoann -

    It’s for thermal expansion. Batteries breath - inhale during charge up need room. Much like the lungs in our chest cavity.

    Kashif Maqsood -

    Keeps pressure off the center of the backglass or else it would break 1,000,000,000,000 % faster

    Joey Glaser -

  9. WmQExpW3i1nOTqNv
    WmQExpW3i1nOTqNv
    TodpcdxMJwGB4s6g
    sYYKAR5MjLMUpMuB

    • We'll have the motherboard free as soon as we twirl away two screws and spudger off a couple FPC connectors.

    • No one could have expected this display cable to be threaded through a slit in the chassis and latched onto the motherboard as if trying to pull it down to its doom...

    • ...No one except for you, if you've read pretty much any of our Galaxy teardowns in recent years.

    • Samsung, we see why you did it, but we're pretty sure you're smarter than this. It's 2018—show us a display we can disconnect and replace without having to carve off a glued-down back cover. We dare you!

    • Motherboard achievement: unlocked.

    With a ip68 rating? You're dreaming, and your use of hyperbole is

    You're Amateurs -

    And it's not glue,

    You're Amateurs -

    “Glue: an adhesive substance used for sticking objects or materials together.” Pressure sensitive adhesives, like double-sided tape, are also glues, they just have a carrier =)

    Sam Goldheart -

    @oldturkey03

    thoughts on the above comments?

    George A. -

    @pccheese excellent comment followed by an even greater reference :-)

    oldturkey03 -

  10. rk4NqtE1tnYBtyxI
    rk4NqtE1tnYBtyxI
    Xgv1csCuSeEwPXsf
    qMxBJjKZCX2RCFSu

    • Despite the dual image sensors, this double camera is a single unit, on a single PCB, with a single connector!

    • The S9+ camera grand total now comes to four—in addition to the (newly) dual main camera, we have the selfie and iris cameras.

    • An argument can be made that with the addition of the dual-aperture camera, the total is five cameras. Four image sensors yes, but five ways to capture those images.

    • The camera line appears to be called Star this time, compared to last year's "Dream" cameras.

    • Our friends over at TechInsights pulled the camera modules apart, and there are chips lurking in there. Samsung claims that their integrated DRAM helps the camera wrangle up to four times more image data. 960 FPS slo-mo, anybody?

    ‘star’ is a device codename of S9 (starlte) and S9+ (star2lte), while ‘dream’ is the codename of S8 (dreamlte) and S8+ (dream2lte).

    Daniel Simko -

    People leave out that the 960fps is at only 720P and it’s only for a few seconds which seems silly!!! Also way to SSLLLOOOWWW. As someone who does use Slow-Mo on my iPhone once in a while to record Industrial machines in a factory so that I can see what’s happening at a slower speed because it’s normally to fast for my eye’s to catch what’s going on, that is slow enough for my needs and I can record for a long period so that I can catch it making the mistake. Apple’s 240fps, is a really nice speed, where it’s slowed down enough to see what’s happen, and actually moving. To SSLLLOOWWW and you couldn’t see what was really happening. Besides the S9 can do the same as the iPhone now at 1080P 240fps which is really more useful anyway. What I’m seeing from a number of sites, Camera Sites for example, it’s recording for only .2 seconds and playback is 30fps for 6 seconds. Who the !&&* would use that? That is a GIMMICK. So stick with 240fps at 1080P. you have much, much longer/better recordings

    JBDragon -

    The Slow-mo guys on youtube often record action at a fraction of a second. Enough to play it back to analyze the result. Just because 960fps is too slow for you doesn’t mean it is a gimmick. That’s very arrogant. I don’t find the iPhone 8’s wireless charging necessary but I wouldn’t call it a gimmick. I’m sure you’ll find ways to praise Apple’s version on the next iPhone. You seem to feel the need to venture onto non-Apple pages and articles to tell us how much the Samsung sucks and why it’s the same, yet make a positive spin for every Apple decision. The iPhone has largely stayed the same from the iPhone 6 up-to the 8, however because it’s Apple, it’s familiar and recognisable. Samsung re-uses the same design for the second iteration, they’re now Samesung… I don’t get it. I don’t even use a Samsung as my daily either haha.

    djlobb01 -

  11. UDCYajZR5qINLMDR
    UDCYajZR5qINLMDR
    cKVuSDogA3lUtTmr
    tByEBmRQI34dbOTw

    • The mighty headphone jack makes a valiant return. Its gasket protects the phone, and its modularity promises an inexpensive repair should it need replacement.

    • We snag the multi-purpose daughterboard assembly, featuring coaxial interconnect cables, microphone, USB-C connector, and oodles of spring contacts.

    • The daughterboard-mounted charging port is a cheaper and easier replacement than one on the motherboard. Thanks, Samsung!

    • Next out is the second of the speakers—the earpiece—which newly doubles as a loudspeaker, enabling not just stereo but "surround" sound (such as a phone can offer).

    Easier as in you don't have to know how to do PCB soldering

    You're Amateurs -

    @yuramateurs Correct; not everyone who buys this phone will have the capability to microsolder these components. So it makes replacement much easier for your average individual!

    George A. -

    who is microphone vendor?

    염광현 -

  12. yKaxyfurlgmQpqaf
    yKaxyfurlgmQpqaf
    Nn5HOTTM61wWT4Uj

    • Throw that mobo on the table and give it a spin! Side A has all the big hits:

    • Samsung K3UH6H60AM-NGCJ LPDDR4X 6 GB DRAM, layered over a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845

    • Toshiba THGAF4G9N4LBAIR 64 GB UFS (NAND flash + controller)

    • Avago AFEM-9096 front end module

    • Qualcomm Aqstic™ WCD9341 audio codec

    • Maxim Integrated MAX77705F PMIC

    • Qualcomm QET4100 envelope tracker

    • Maxim MAX98512 audio amplifier

    From the SAMSUNG’s product link http://www.samsung.com/semiconductor/dra... , it is 48Gb LPDDR4x which should be 6GB capacity.

    JJ Wu -

    Oh my GOD!!!! Samesung doesn’t make all their own parts!!!!!! Toshiba, Avago, Qualcomm, Maxim and a number of others!!!! Not that I really care. But this is something fandroids like to bash the iPhone over. The simple fact is, few company’s make their own parts. Apple does design their own parts including the CPU/GPU and other chips and even though the iPhone X OLED screen is made by Samesung, it was designed by Apple!!! That’s the point. A Smartphone is so complex, there is no way any simple company could make ALL their own parts. Samesung does make a lot of their own parts though. That’s a big advantage or them. For those factory’s to make a profit, that have to also make parts for others like Apple. To Apple’s specs. Those places generally have to run 24/7.

    JBDragon -

    SAMSUNG makes more their own parts than Apple. The one you see here is “Qualcomm AP-based” S9+. You may check “SAMSUNG AP-based” model. SAMSUNG made their own CPU, GPU, modem, NFC, PMIC, LPDDR4x, UFS…

    http://www.techinsights.com/about-techin...

    JJ Wu -

    You sound like a complete dork. Who to is bashing another phone about making their own parts. Get a life or have someone make it for you!!!!

    Bridget -

    Also, apple doesn't actually make their own chips, they design them and have someone else make them. Samsung does it all themselves.

    George A. -

  13. yCMptQeagP5IVIgH
    yCMptQeagP5IVIgH
    wPCGOqG3PDMxnBeM

    • Side B has all the hits they couldn't fit:

    • Murata KM7N16048 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module

    • NXP PN80T NFC controller

    • Qualcomm PM845 (likely PMIC)

    • Qualcomm SDR845 RF tranceiver

    • Skyworks SKY78160-11 WLAN front-end module

    • Qualcomm PM8005 PMIC

    • Skyworks SKY13716-1 low band front end module

    Labeling things as “likely" and continuing to be wrong as stated above? What a $@$* show you've done thus far. How do you have a job here? …unless… you're all amateur jokes?

    You're Amateurs -

    Could you take picture again?. I can’t recognize the letter on chip.

    CK. RYU -

  14. mtTqhCk5hruVMQSI
    mtTqhCk5hruVMQSI
    fWSnME5gTukUL3KL

    • IC Identification, pt. 2:

    • Qualcomm QDM3870 high-band diversity front-end module

    • Qualcomm D5319 mid-band diversity front-end module

    • RDA Microelectronics RDA6213N FM transceiver (likely)

    • Samsung S2MPB02 camera power management

    • Samsung S2DOS05 display power management

    • Samsung S2MPB03 camera power management

    • Renesas (formerly IDT) P9320S wireless power receiver

  15. xpXCRgVJfjDEoPn2
    xpXCRgVJfjDEoPn2
    aJZEQCHXxkXUQSSh

    • IC Identification, pt.3:

    • NXP Semiconductor PCAL6524 24-bit I/O expander

    • ON Semiconductor FPF3688UCX load switch

    • Texas Instruments boost converter (likely)

    • ON Semiconductor FAN48618BUC53X 1 A boost regulator

    • Vishay DG2730 2-port, 480 Mbps USB 2.0 DPDT analog switch

    • Richtek RT8010GQW 1 A step-down DC-DC converter

    • Texas Instruments TPS7A05 200 mA LDO regulator

  16. ghSw3cXCiXmkGBYb
    ghSw3cXCiXmkGBYb
    oAHXl1NTNqtOegAt

    • IC Identification, pt. 4 (sensors):

    • STMicroelectronics LSM6DSL 3-axis accelerometer/gyroscope

    • AKM Semiconductor AK09916C 3-axis electronic compass

    • STMicroelectronics LPS22HB pressure sensor

    • heart rate sensor

    • Ablic (formerly Seiko Instruments) S-5712CCDL1-I4T1U hall sensor

    • Semtech SX9320 proximity sensor (likely)

  17. 31Yo1qtLIossVkwR
    31Yo1qtLIossVkwR
    1l6QwFF4sAdbIe1F
    X1WUTasuqG2bpx3t

    • It's a hotbed of teardown activity as we attempt to unseat the display—but this glue is trying our patience, and we abandon our pile of iOpeners in favor of a heat gun once again.

    • As before, the heat and opening pick can do the job, but it's a marathon slog to get here if you're replacing a broken screen.

    • The Samsung-made display cable, like the cameras, is labeled Star, and combines both display and digitizer in one sealed unit.

    • There's two final chips piggybacked onto the display:

    • Samsung S6SY761X touch controller (as seen on the S8 series)

    • Winbond W25Q80EWUXIE 8 Mb serial NOR flash

    Wow. That screen is now useless. What a

    You're Amateurs -

    These phones are just getting harder to work on. The screen should be easy to replace as that gets cracked quite often. To replace the screen on one of these, I wouldn’t do it. Where would you take a Samesung phone for a screen replacement?

    JBDragon -

    Well, I guess you'd go to your bank, and withdraw $400 to pay for it.

    George A. -

    The only way I've been able to remove the screen is to work from the other side.

    Work some isopropyl alcohol through the battery compartment, LCD cable slot, camera mount, and headphone jack area. Flex the glass back and forth to suck the IPA in there, then heat up the aluminum frame to loosen the adhesive holding the OLED panel to the frame. Usually I start from the edge closest to the battery and buttons. As soon as there's a slight gap, work in a pry tool to break the adhesive, add a bit more IPA then heat, and work your way around to the top and bottom, then the other edge just levers off.

    My rationale for starting from that side is that you're heating the adhesive holding the OLED to the frame more than you're heating the adhesive holding the glass to the OLED. It still shouldn't get too hot to handle with rubber/nitrile gloves on.

    I've done this with an 80+% success rate on more than a dozen phones with only two destroyed screens, maybe three, but I wasn't trying to save that last one.

    Mark H -

    Would you mind posting a close up photo of the Samsung S6SY761X touch controller?

    A better photo may help me identify the chip’s model. Then I can have a closer loot at the specs.

    Samsung seems to hint at a Scan/Report rate of 160Hz/120Hz.

    Thanks!

    Michael -

    @destructive Click any image to blow it up. You can read all the chip markings. Further, if you see an extension like .full or .huge at the end of the image URL, delete it from the URL and refresh to see the image in its maximum available resolution.

    Jeff Suovanen -

  18. eQSaXRmWRyAOPWeN

    • Time for a biometrics faceoff.

    • On the left, looking pretty much exactly like what we found last year, we have the S9+ hardware: iris scanner, front-facing camera, IR emitter, and proximity sensor (likely AMS TMD4906).

    • On the right, the raison d'être for Apple's infamous notch: Face ID hardware including a front-facing camera, IR dot projector, IR camera, plus room for the flood illuminator and rangefinder embedded in the display.

    • Some assembly required.

    • Based on early reviews, it may have been overly ambitious of Samsung to jump on the Animoji train without a hardware update to bring it up to speed.

    Ugh, the cringe is

    You're Amateurs -

    Crying on every picture, get a grip

    jcaldwell89 -

    Samesung’s version seems a little creepy. Not sure who would use it. More Gimmick than anything anyway.

    JBDragon -

    Samsung scans your eye. Apple scans your entire face. Your eye is more unique than a fingerprint or your face. I don’t see what’s so creepy about an eye scanner… they’ve been around since the 90’s, and it’s pretty hard to trick a modern one. While a face, on the other hand, could be tricked easily with a picture molded onto a dummy head or a mask.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_recog...

    Please stop calling Samsung a gimmick just because you personally have no use for its features.

    George A. -

    I would say both Animoji and AR Emoji are both gimmicks. The difference being you can actually use your avatar as a gif in many 3rd party apps similarly to Bitmoji. It is kind of creepy. However I think both are novelty. You can’t single out Samsung just because you own an iPhone X.

    djlobb01 -

    He's talking about the animoji not the face or retina scanning!

    Richard Denton -

    Is it just me or the arrangement of the front facing camera and sensors differ from one phone to the other? I have my front facing camera alone on the right side of the phone and the other sensors are on the left side. Also when i checked jerryrig's teardown video on the S9, the front facing camera has another lense besides it.

    Gian Marty -

  19. jxnWs1au4iepFMyC

    • That's a wrap! For now anyway. Feast your eyes on these Galaxy S9+ bits and look forward to more teardown fun from iFixit!

    • Wanna be the first to break the teardown news? Sign up for our press list and get the inside scoop!

    Why a 4 if it's easily opened and fixed screen is an old one which means there is no way of saving it so removing the broken glass with the screen means just replacing everything you guys are way behind on technology

    Gasper Torner -

  20. 5LIxUBEp2DNNGO1M

    • The Samsung Galaxy S9+ earns a 4 out of 10 on our repairability scale (10 is the easiest to repair):

    • Many components are modular and can be replaced independently.

    • The battery replacement is technically possible, but accessing it is an unnecessary challenge.

    • Glued-down glass both front and back means greater risk of breakage, and makes repairs difficult to start.

    • Screen repairs require a lot of disassembly while battling tough adhesive.

Author

Adam O'Camb

Member since: 11/04/15

195421 Reputation

41 comments

Just like the S8 being called the “Dream”, the Note 8 was called the “Great” and the S9 is called the “Star.“ So yes, there are fingerprint sensors out there called the “Dream Finger,“ “Great Finger,“ and “Star Finger.“ Weird, yet hilarious.

iliketurtuls -

Hey look at that “DREAM FINGER” right here on the S8 cable! Great info!

Sam Goldheart -

Lmao, I hope you understand your referring to the ribbon and not the entire sensor; I am not at liberty to correct you, but lookup the description of a fingerprint sensor from a genuine OEM authorized reseller

You're Amateurs -

Yes, I do understand that I am referring to the ribbon, that’s why I called it a cable. It’s not a leap to assume that the cable is carrying the label for the assembly. Just like the “S9+” printed on the rear case represents the whole phone, not just the glass.

Sam Goldheart -

The sticky black webbing on the battery is most likely a thermal pad to assist with heat dissipation. An air gap, even a tiny one (microns) still acts as a poor thermal conductor.

Ashley Foxcroft -

No it isn't.

You're Amateurs -

It's interesting, isn't it, that they dedicate significant internal space to that heat pipe for better thermal management. However even so, neither chip (I assume, more testing needed) catches the A11s sustained performance over time. Makes me wonder what improvement that heat pipe would show in the A11. And makes me want an actively cooled A11X clamshell….

tipoo -

I’m waiting since the launch of iPhone X, I think it will beat a decent amount of i7 processors.

Abedoss -

Dahhhh, A11 already been beaten --follow antutu news more frequently,

You're Amateurs -

You guys did not talk about the new heart rate pulse oximeter sensor that Samsung is touting. I noted it has 4 LEDs (a pair of red and a pair of infrared?). It is definitely not the same part as the S8, which appears to be a Maxim IC. Comments?

anonymous 3038 -

Probably a similar system to the Apple Watch. Except it’s red instead of green.

Liam Powell -

Hi. Hmm the wireless charger receiver does not look like it is exactly in the middle. It looks more towards the bottom part of the phone. Maybe the size is bigger? Would you please confirm the exact location and size of the wireless charging receiver coil?

Eddy -

Nope, it’s pretty much dead center, it’s the set of concentric circles in the center of the phone seen here.

Sam Goldheart -

As usually the screen broke? You have to pay for the frame, hearpeace, small prarts and to pay 450$ nice

Fixmart Laboratory -

My supplier only sells Samsung LCD’s with the Frames, however only accepts ones without frames for recycle. So I have frames sitting around doing nothing.

James Turner -

This is why I haven’t bought a new smartphone in over a year…. I’ll just keep taking my friends money and fix their $800.00+ phones while my $125 (new, over a year ago) ZTE Prestige keeps on doing what the $800 ones do… except the draining my wallet part.

Vincent -

Nice design.

Kevin -

Hello:

So, no radio on this model either?

Thanx for another great video and teardown explanation : )

Héctor Gonçalvez -

At least they made microphone easier to replace, that was the biggest problems in phones. Now give me this phone for free because all older phones from Samsung, Nokia, LG is expensive $@$* who breaks fast.

janisr545 -

“While phone makers and operating system developers of dubious numeracy skip straight from eight to ten “

Funny, but Samsung actually innovated this first! They went from the Galaxy Note 5 to the Galaxy Note 7

Nick -

What the auto-adjust aperture camera module size?

Ryan Wu -

Pour moi ce téléphone aurait une note de 7/10

mercy yoann -

I dropped and cracked the rear glass on my galaxy s9+. I don't want to take it in to sprint to have them replace it because they'll charge me a fee when I can do it myself. Does anyone know where I can buy one?

Gina -

https://www.samsung-parts.net/

Gauthier Kern -

I mistakenly thought the bottom of the phone had the sim card slot. I inserted the sim tool into the small hole next to the usb c port. I think this is part of the speaker. Did I do any damage?

Dan Coogan -

That’s a microphone opening.

Caleb Kan -

me too. I just did that and mic seems to work OK but idk if it works flawlessly or if the seal is broken. Why they make all this things so confusing.

Please let me know your outcome.

Andres Corona -

So what about the camera lens cover? Can that still be replaced in the same way as with the S8+? I.e.: basically just heat it up with a heat gun and snap/break it out, then put a new one in with a sticky pad… All without without having to actually open up the phone?

Obviously the lens cover is now rectangular in shape an no longer square but other than that I’m hoping it’s the same procedure as I have a brand new s9+ that already has a scratch running through the lens which is causing a lot of glare in sunny shots :(

Any news on when a replacement part like that might start hitting the store??

Thx!

Silvermane -

The X-ray is my screensaver.

Rob C -

Compared to other devices, it is decently modular, however I would have liked to see an easy to remove battery.

EXE167 -

I suspect that the pad on the battery is for friction and vibration control. The gap between the midframe and the battery will close over time and at some point it will rub and rattle.

Kevin McMurtrie -

I had broken my camera lens glass slip what can i do for it????

Soumyadeep Ghosh -

How durable is the fingerprint scanner glass?

John -

Now i am fight (:)) with Samsung. My display crash near CPU (thank you to show me where is it) passing from very hot (summer sunny day +40 and phone working with gmap) to cold (train with strong air conditioner) , and samsung say this problem is not covered from guarantee. Bha… To someone happen? in case please contact me , details on website

image here http://mauro.telani.info/1.jpg

Mauro Telani -

Hello, I own a Samsung Galaxy S9 + Plus, the other day fell to the ground breaking the display and the background images were seen double and moved.

Replacing only the display system? or the defect of the images and due to something else?

ALK -

but to replace the volume and power keys you have to change the whole central frame ???

Antonio Riccio -

The power and volume keys can be replaced separately, if you have the parts. They come out of the frame without too much trouble.

Jeff Suovanen -

So i was looking into replacing my s9+ battery. And this is my first time ever even doing anything like that with any phone. Would you recommend me doing it? Or should I just take it to a professional store? What are some of the issues with me doing it and what all can happen? Thanks!

Nick -

@nickc68 The S9+ is less than a year old, so if your battery is already going bad, you should probably just submit a warranty claim and let Samsung take care of it. I’m all for using the DIY option, but it’s not the customer’s responsibility to replace a faulty battery on a device that’s still under warranty. In terms of the procedure, it’s almost identical to replacing a battery on the S8+.

Jeff Suovanen -

S9+ fingerprint sensor “screen" is made out of what?

James B. Norris -

What is the round part that's labeled D40 and how can I remove it? It's stuck onto the front side of the chassis.

Jump4fun -