The almost four-year gap between the S80 and the S90, compared with intervals of six months to one year between prior versions, led to the line being popularly considered discontinued, and thus the S90 as a revival, rather than a strict successor.

[5] To address the ergonomic criticisms, third parties have developed a custom grip to make the camera easier to grip,[6] and a plastic ring to surround the control dial, making the dial less likely to be accidentally moved.

[7][8] In the high-end compact camera market, its main competitor is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 (and the Lumix's sister camera, the Leica D-Lux 4);[1] one significant difference being that the S90 is significantly slimmer due to the fully collapsible lens, hence more portable.

The Canon PowerShot G series (as of June 2010[update], the G11) are similar in terms of target market, but feature a larger body and slower optics at the wide angle end.

A similar category to high-end compact cameras are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras ("micros"), some of which are in a compact form factor (with a similar-sized body), such as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, Olympus PEN E-P1/E-P2, and Sony Alpha NEX-3.