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Video Overview

This teardown is not a repair guide. To repair your Samsung Galaxy Note9, use our service manual.

  1. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown, Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 1, image 1 of 1
    • Here are some initial Notes on the 9:

    • Notchless edge-to-edge 6.4" Super AMOLED display with 2960 × 1440 resolution (516 ppi)

    • Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor paired with 6 GB RAM (8 GB optional)

    • 4,000 mAh battery

    • 12 MP OIS dual rear camera system with dual-aperture ƒ/1.5-ƒ/2.4 wide-angle and ƒ/2.4 telephoto modules, plus an 8 MP selfie cam

    • 128 GB internal storage (512 GB internal storage optional), with additional 512 GB available via microSD expansion

    • S Pen stylus with Bluetooth connectivity

    • IP68 dust and water resistance rating

  2. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 2, image 1 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 2, image 2 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 2, image 3 of 3
    • The Note9 looks very (very) similar to the Note8—and in principle at least, we're fine with that. Smartphone evolution has slowed, and even we don't think you should try to fix what isn't broken.

    • That said, we would like a fix for the Note series' history of low repairability.

    • So what is new? Well, it's very slightly wider and shorter than the Note8, with an extra 0.1 inch of display—and it's a hair thicker at 8.8 mm versus 8.6 mm.

    • In an increasingly rare (but welcome) move, Samsung has kept the analog headphone jack.

    • Not only does this reduce wear on the charging port, it prevents the scourge of built-in-battery wireless earbuds.

  3. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 3, image 1 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 3, image 2 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 3, image 3 of 3
    • Another subtle (but good) change: the fingerprint sensor has packed its things and moved to a happier location, south of the rear camera.

    • Result: less time spent smearing the camera lens with wayward finger pokes.

    • Spoiler alert: we got an early glimpse of the Note9's innards thanks to Creative Electron's wallhack abilities.

    • Now that we have a map, let's glide on into battle.

  4. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 4, image 1 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 4, image 2 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 4, image 3 of 3
    • We'd like to hit the ground running, but this back panel adhesive is still pretty OP. Nerf it please, Samsung?

    • Our usual strat of heat, suction, and careful slicing does the trick eventually.

    • The newly relocated fingerprint sensor is a welcome change here—that flex cable location is much less vulnerable to accidental slicing and dicing.

    • That said, it's still too short. A few flappy folds like we saw on the Surface Go would make reassembly a happier affair.

  5. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 5, image 1 of 2 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 5, image 2 of 2
    • The battery's still glued down in a miserable sticky well—but the Note8 didn't blow up so the design is justified, eh Samsung?

    • The Note9 battery weighs in at a ludicrous 15.4 Wh, eschewing the cautious 12.71 Wh Note8 battery, and eclipsing both the infamous Note7 (13.48 Wh) and the iPhone X (a "mere" 10.35 Wh).

    • Since we know you'll ask, here are some dimensions: 87.7 mm x 41.5 mm x 6 mm. Weight: 54.7 g. Now go forth and calculate energy density! Or whatever it is you do.

  6. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 6, image 1 of 2 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 6, image 2 of 2
    • The chips that move the bits and bytes:

    • Samsung K3UH6H60AM-AGCJ 6 GB LPDDR4X SDRAM, with Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 layered underneath

    • Samsung KLUDG4U1EA-B0C1 128 GB eUFS storage

    • NXP Semiconductor PN80T NFC Controller

    • Skyworks SKY78160-51 Front-End Module WLAN

    • Avago/Broadcom AFEM-9096 Front-End Module LTE

    • Qualcomm WCD9341 Audio Codec

    • Maxim MAX77705 PMIC

  7. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 7, image 1 of 2 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 7, image 2 of 2
    • More chips on the flip:

    • Wacom W9018 digitizer controller with S Pen capability

    • Murata KM8423057 Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module

    • Qualcomm SDR845 RF transceiver

    • Qualcomm PM845 PMIC

    • IDT P9320S wireless charging receiver

    • Samsung S2DOS05 display PMIC

    • Qualcomm PM8005 PMIC

  8. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 8, image 1 of 2 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 8, image 2 of 2
    • IC Identification, pt. 2:

    • Qualcomm QET4100 Envelope Tracker

    • RDA Microelectronics RDA6213N FM transceiver (likely)

    • Samsung S2MIS01 MST Driver

    • Qualcomm QDM3870 high band diversity front end module

    • Skyworks SKY13716-11 low-band LNA front-end module

    • NXP Semiconductor BGU8103 GPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BeiDou low noise amplifier

    • Antenna Tuner

  9. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 9, image 1 of 2 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 9, image 2 of 2
    • IC Identifications, pt. 3:

    • Maxim Integrated MAX585128 audio Amplifier (likely)

    • Samsung S2MPB02 camera power management

    • Samsung S2MPB03 camera power management

    • ON Semiconductor FAN48618BUC53X 1 A Boost Regulator

    • Vishay DG2730 480 Mbps DPDT analog switch

    • NXP Semiconductor PCAL6524 24-bit I/O expander

    • Knowles MEMS microphone

  10. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 10, image 1 of 2 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 10, image 2 of 2
    • IC Identifications, pt. 4 (sensors):

    • STMicroelectronics LSM6DSL 3-axis accelerometer/gyroscope

    • AKM Semiconductor AK09918C 3-axis electronic compass

    • STMicroelectronics LPS22HB pressure sensor

    • Maxim Integrated ? heart rate sensor

    • Semtech SX9320 ? proximity sensor

    • Diodes Incorporated hall sensor (likely)

  11. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 11, image 1 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 11, image 2 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 11, image 3 of 3
    • The motherboard has absorbed yesteryear's daughterboard, leaving a modular USB-C port (with a Knowles hanger-on microphone) ripe for the picking.

    • Samsung continues to provide sanctuary for the now endangered headphone jack, while saddling it with a super thin spring-contact-connected cable.

    • The heat pipe has significantly more surface area than prior generations. Perhaps those pipes proved the concept, or proved they needed to be that much beefier (because Fortnite).

  12. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 12, image 1 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 12, image 2 of 3 Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 12, image 3 of 3
    • Time for S Pen extraction. We couldn't find a non-destructive way to crack it open, so we swapped in the heavy weapons—the ultrasonic blaster cutter!

    • Now that Fortnite is here we were prepared for a tomato update, but the S Pen peels open like a banana.

    • What's in this loot llama? How about a DA14580 Dialog Semiconductor Bluetooth Smart SoC ...

    • ... and a K8373 Seiko Instruments supercapacitor.

    • We'd guess that the supercapacitor powers the Bluetooth radio, which is only used for the single button. Other stylus functions operate without built-in power.

    • We'd also conjecture that the S Pen charges via the sensing coils near the tip. We found a grey pad near where the coils reside when the stylus is stowed—possibly an inductive charging pad.

  13. Samsung Galaxy Note9 Teardown: step 13, image 1 of 1
    • And that's all we note!

    • The Samsung Galaxy Note9 isn’t a radical redesign, but it’s fresh enough to keep our teardown engineers happy. The Note line tends to evolve slowly—bigger motherboard, a different pen, nothing radical—except for a battery that just exploded in size.

    • Sometimes it feels like watching paint dry. But sometimes you get to cut open a tiny pen! (Something we haven’t done since the Apple Pencil.)

  14. Final Thoughts
    • This Note's components are more modular than ever, thanks to subtle changes to the USB-C hardware, headphone jack, and the S Pen dock's flex cable.
    • The only screws used are standard Phillips screws.
    • You can replace the battery if you're determined—two extremely stubborn glue barriers make it unnecessarily difficult.
    • To service any component you must first painstakingly un-glue (and later re-glue) the glass rear panel.
    • All-too-common display repairs require replacing the entire chassis or tediously separating the gluey cracked glass.
    Repairability Score
    4
    Repairability 4 out of 10
    (10 is easiest to repair)

24 Comments

Pretty usual for Samsung. Just do NOT break the screen or you will cry at the replacement cost.

sam caspian - Reply

FYI, easiest way to remove the batteries in the S8- and S9-era Samsung phones is light heat on the display side, a syringe application of alcohol right down near the battery adhesive, and a suction cup to pull it up. Comes out like butter.

davisj3608 - Reply

Someone at Samsung has a sense of humor. “KLUDG4U” as a part number?

JOATMON - Reply

I dont get it..

Moshe Koyenov -

So which GPS chipset is this phone using?

Chris - Reply

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