Samsung recently released the Galaxy S9+ at the MWC 2018. iFixit, the popular repair company has done a complete teardown of the newly launched Galaxy S9+ inside their lab and the company provides a score of 4/10. We have exclusive highlights about the teardown.
The main highlight of the Samsung Galaxy S9+ is that the aperture-adjusting dual camera array makes use of a wide-angle f/1.5 setting for low light, and the f/2.4 setting for crisp everyday photos. It is to be noted that most of the camera employs five blades to adjust the aperture. However, the Galaxy S9+ uses only dual blades to switch between its two settings.
According to iFixit, the animated emoji is being developed using lower technology. The front-facing hardware such as iris scanner, camera, IR emitter, and the proximity sensor is almost identical to that of the Galaxy S8+ smartphone. The Galaxy S9+ inherits the meh 4/10 in repairability from the S8 and Note 8 lineage.
On the top, you will find the standard SIM slot coupled with a slightly rearranged camera and fingerprint sensor array. The handset completely eliminates smudgy lenses. the bottom side looks similar to that of the previous counterpart and it features a traditional headphone port. The speaker grille is supported by the mesh tucked back and not replaced by a port.
The iFixit claims that the Galaxy S9+ sensor arrangement is more sprawling and awkward when compared with the iPhone X. Moreover, the teardown team managed to safely dispatch the sensor assembly cable easily. The iFixit had to navigate through the treacherous opening to locate the back of the device.
The rear camera comprises of a fancy new dual aperture camera system and the team first checked the dual camera immediately after opening. The camera is designed in such a way that it automatically adjusts the aperture for low light at f/1.5, while the aperture level is f/2.4 for normal photos. The fingerprint sensor has been relocated and the cable has been embedded with a nasty glue. We verified the image posted by iFixit and found the glue to be very thick.
The teardown team expects Samsung to improve in the Galaxy S10+ expected to release in 2019. You have to remove sixteen screws to locate the integrated wireless charging coil, antenna assembly in addition to the lower speaker. The iFixit team managed to remove the glued-down battery using a syringe loaded with iFixit Adhesive Remover. Furthermore, the motherboard can be removed after the removal of the screw and spudger off couple FPC connectors.
The dual rear cameras are housed in a single unit on a single PCB paired with a single connector. totally, there are four cameras such as the dual rear camera, selfie and iris scanner. The headphone jack gasket protects the phone, which helps you to repair/replace the port easily. The multi-purpose daughterboard assembly comprises of a coaxial interconnect cables, microphone, the USB-C connector including a wide range of spring contacts.
According to iFixit teardown team, many internal components included with the Galaxy S9+ are modular and can be easily replaced. even though battery can be replaced technically, it’s a big challenge to access it. The display and rear glass increase the chance of breakage. If you would like to replace the screen, it requires removal of the glass rear panel and disassembly of the entire phone via tough adhesives. If you purchase Samsung Galaxy S9+, be prepared for a tough repair job by dealing with plenty of adhesives and glues. The iFixit gives a repairability score of 4 out of 10, where a score of 10 denotes that you can perform repair work easily.
