‘I didn’t know this existed’: Samsung Galaxy S24 owners have spotted the phone’s hidden microphone

That’s no scratch

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Today’sbest phonesfeature more external ports, notches and sensors than you can shake a stick at, so there’s no shame in stumbling on an orifice (sorry) in your device that you didn’t know existed.

Thebest Samsung phonesare covered in hard-to-spot openings, and one of the most well-hidden is a camera-specific microphone that’s been a feature of every Samsung Galaxy phone since theSamsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.

As explained in arecent postby X user @sondesix, theSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultrafeatures a small, defect-like notch tucked away on the right-hand side of its ultra-wide sensor. As above, this is actually an extra microphone, whose main function is to pick up and focus sound when the camera is recording a zoom video.

Galaxy S24 Ultra users, keep in mind that your phone has this extra microphone located on the right side of the ultra-wide camera lens.The main function is for audio zoom when recording a video.This is not new. All other Galaxy S Ultra phones have the same microphone located… pic.twitter.com/sQ99wfdc4lFebruary 14, 2024

Both theSamsung Galaxy S24andGalaxy S24 Plusfeature the same hidden microphone in the same location. On previous Galaxy devices, this microphone has been located at the bottom of (i.e. underneath) the ultra-wide sensor, which perhaps explains why many Galaxy users weren’t aware of its existence until now.

“Wow, I didn’t know this microphone existed until I read this post,”one X user wrote. “It’s very hard to notice unless you really look for it.”

“Thanks for pointing that out,”another said. “I almost went toSamsungCenter to check if that’s a defect or not.”

Interestingly, Samsung itself doesn’t disclose the existence of this microphone in any official Galaxy documents. In arecent Samsung Community post, one Galaxy S24 Ultra owner asked: “Has anyone else noticed the small cutout notch on the rear camera ring on the S24 Ultra? I’ve searched online and some have said it’s a microphone for the zoom mic. But according to Samsung, the S24 Ultra only has two mics; one at bottom, and one at the top.”

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In truth, this ‘microphone’ behaves more like a sensor than a traditional microphone, so perhaps its functionality isn’t significant enough to warrant inclusion on Samsung’s official Galaxy spec sheets.

Indeed, in response to @sondesix’s post, some X users asked whether using a case with their Galaxy S24 phone (i.e. one that sits flush around the lenses) affects the functionality of this tiny microphone, but the answer appears to be ‘no’. “It does not affect the audio quality in any way. I checked and double checked,” AKSCHDwrote.

Incidentally, these tiny, camera-specific microphones are not exclusive to Samsung devices. On thebest iPhones, these zoom microphones appear as small, cylindrical dots in the glass housing that surrounds the rear cameras. It’s just that, on Samsung devices, they’re much, much harder to spot.

For more information on Samsung’s latest flagship phones, check out ourSamsung Galaxy S24 review, hands-onSamsung Galaxy S24 Plus review, andSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review.

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Axel is TechRadar’s UK-based Phones Editor, reporting on everything from the latest Apple developments to newest AI breakthroughs as part of the site’s Mobile Computing vertical. Having previously written for publications including Esquire and FourFourTwo, Axel is well-versed in the applications of technology beyond the desktop, and his coverage extends from general reporting and analysis to in-depth interviews and opinion. 

Axel studied for a degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick before joining TechRadar in 2020, where he then earned an NCTJ qualification as part of the company’s inaugural digital training scheme.

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