As phones have become more and more advanced, they physically take on more components. With that, a certain phenomenon has plagued the Android market in which phones like the Pixel 7 and Samsung Galaxy S23 make rattling sounds when shaken. This would be concerning if we didn’t know why, but we do.
Of those many little parts and pieces that are secured and glued together in your device, one of the most advanced is the camera. As far as gadgets go, flagships have some of the best cameras ever to find their way inside smartphones.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, for example, touts a 200 MP camera sensor. Right under that set of elements and a heavy-duty sensor sits a 10 MP telephoto camera, which incorporates an even more impressive lens array. From the outside, the Galaxy S23 doesn’t look so abnormal, and the camera only seems to be a small part of the body. The actuality, however, is that the entire camera setup takes up a large proportion of the phone itself, more than most other components.
Another good example is the Pixel 6 and 7 series, which both feature a large camera bar spanning the entire width of the device. That casing is built not only to contribute to the device’s handsome design but also to protect the camera system that lies underneath. That entire bar hides much of the 50 MP sensors and robust image stabilizers. Outside of that, the rest of the phone is actually quite thin.
Related: Here’s what every camera on the Pixel 7 Pro does
What’s that rattling sound?
All that is said because it gives a little weight to the idea that the rattling sound you’re hearing in a Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phone when shaken is actually the camera. No, the sound does not mean that anything is wrong with your device. Rather than improbably loose screws or S Pens rattling around in your device, the noise is nothing but the lens and sensors within their corresponding image stabilizers.
OIS (optical image stabilizers) work in a very specific and excitable way. Built on a suspended system of shock-absorbing material, the lens or sensor is free floating. Built on the concept of absorbing the momentum of your device, a lot of that slight movement that might translate to your phone while taking pictures or recording videos is dissipated into the OIS.
Phones like the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Pixel 7 Pro have quite impressive OIS systems specifically built for telephoto lenses. With the Pixel 7 Pro hitting 30x zoom, a reliable image stabilization system is needed. When in action, that rattling sound is the sensor or lens hitting the OIS walls – its maximum extension in any direction.
Devices like the Galaxy S23 lineup and Pixel 6 and 7 series all make this rattling sound when shaken, and again, it’s completely normal. The Google Pixel 6 Pro and 7 Pro make the loudest sounds since they make use of large 48 MP telephoto lenses. The Pixel 7 Pro, in particular, houses enough hardware to facilitate 5x optical zoom, with the rest of that 30x zoom being AI-assisted.
As more devices hit the market with a focus on telephoto capabilities, there’ll be a fair share more that make sounds when shaken. Even if that is the case, you still probably shouldn’t shake them too much. The durability of OIS isn’t an exact science, and it often doesn’t seem to fail, though it’s still an internal moving piece prone to wear. Violently shaking your device just to hear the sound is probably a bad idea.
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