Samsung just can’t catch a break with its devices. It seems many users are having problems with the zoom on the Note 9’s camera. Whenever they try to zoom in or out while taking a photo, the device vibrates, distorting the photo or video they were trying to take. The Galaxy Note 9 camera’s vibration issue is in addition to the freezing problem many noted months ago.
Complaints about Galaxy Note 9 camera’s vibration issue
PiunikaWeb was the first to spot the growing number of complaints about the Galaxy Note 9 camera’s vibration issue. Posts about the problem have been appearing on Samsung’s product forums, Twitter and other social platforms for months. However, despite the problem’s longevity and the growing number of occurrences, it doesn’t sound like Samsung has even acknowledged it yet.
A Samsung moderator asked whether one user whether it sounded like a mechanical noise coming from the phone itself or whether it seemed more like a digital sound from the speaker. The person said he couldn’t tell, except to say that it sounded like “a vibrate motor is on.” Another Samsung moderator told him that if the Galaxy Note 9 camera’s vibration issue occurs while the phone is in safe mode, repairs are recommended.
A hardware problem?
Another user explained on Samsung’s forums that the vibration issue seems to occur when the phone switches to the second lens.
“…the whole phone vibrates and the camera shakes. It seems to me that it’s related the the [sic] optical stability but even turning that off doesn’t help,” the person said.
He also said he believes it to be a hardware problem because he restored the phone and reflashed the operating system, but nothing helped. Reddit users came to a similar conclusion on another thread about the Galaxy Note 9 camera’s vibration issue.
The posts about the problem date back to just a couple months after the phone was released. That certainly doesn’t bode well for a phone that cost more than $1,000. The fact that Samsung hasn’t officially acknowledged the issue isn’t good either. If it is a hardware problem, the company may feel it’s not in its best interest to acknowledge the flaw publicly since it seems users are being advised to send their phones for repairs.
Unfortunately, PiunikaWeb said some users are still experiencing the issue even after having the camera module replaced, so sending the phone in for repairs is no guarantee of a fix.
Not the first problem with the Note 9’s camera
The Galaxy Note 9 camera’s vibration issue is the second big problem with just the camera module, although there have been problems with other parts of the phone as well. Late last year, many users reported a freezing issue with the camera, and Samsung promised to fix the problem. Software issues are much easier to fix though since they can be patched via an over-the-air update.
We should also point out that the vibration issue with the Note 9 seems to be entirely different from the clicking noise that’s affecting the Galaxy S10. This noise often occurs when the device is switching from the front to the rear camera or switching modes, and Samsung has said it is normal.
