Hi lately I have been hearing a grinding noise when I open the camera app. The focus also stutters for a second or two while I hear the noise. Is anyone else experiencing this? I don't think this was happening before.
Sounds like dirt in the gears. It's under warranty. Back it up (see Backing up an Android Device) and ask to have it repaired or replaced. (The camera module is small, cheap and easy to replace, if your carrier has a repair department and a replacement camera in stock.)
There has been plenty of people that has posted problems similar to yours. Most say it just keeps getting worse as tike goes on and almost always results in with them sending it back to be fixed/replaced.