Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
No surprise here: Galaxy S9 camera sensors sourced from Samsung, Sony
- Samsung is sourcing its flagship sensors from its own division and Sony.
- It’s not unexpected at all, as the company has been doing this since 2014.
- The next Galaxy Note model is tipped to feature the same sensors.
When it comes to mobile components, Samsung certainly has its fingers in plenty of pies. But Samsung’s flagships seem to be so popular that the company has to source components from elsewhere too. This is indeed the case with the Galaxy S9 camera sensors.
According to TechInsights (via SamMobile), the S9 and S9 Plus pack either Samsung or Sony camera sensors, in the form of the Sony IMX345 or the S5K2L3.
It’s not the first time Samsung has dual-sourced image sensors either, having used Sony and Samsung sensors since 2014’s Galaxy S5 and 2015’s Galaxy S6.
As for differences between the Galaxy S9 camera sensors, TechInsights found that the IMX345 was similar to the IMX400, seen on the trail-blazing Sony Xperia XZ Premium. Both sensors pack super-fast DRAM (enabling super slow-motion features), but the difference is in the layout.
You shouldn’t expect the second rear shooter on the S9 Plus to be dual-sourced though. “The S9 Plus telephoto camera chip is a recycle of Samsung’s 12MP, 1.0µm pixel pitch S5K3M3SM from the Galaxy S8,” TechInsights explained in a previous teardown. We’re assuming the firm means the Galaxy Note 8, as the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus featured one main camera.
The outlet also has some news for stylus fans, saying they “expect to see the S5K2L3 (Samsung) and IMX345 (Sony) again this fall in the next-generation Samsung Note.”