Samsung Galaxy S8 reportedly removing headphone jack, home button

Jordan Kahn for 9to5Google:

A new series of reports today from SamMobile, a blog that often provides accurate details on unreleased Samsung products, claims that the company plans to ditch both the 3.5mm headphone jack and the physical Home button on its upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone.

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Back in September a rumor claimed that Samsung could possibly ditch the headphone jack as it was also apparently working on its own proprietary port to replace it. While the reports today from SamMobile confirmed the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack, the fate of a proprietary port is unclear as a separate report from the blog confirms the S8 will indeed feature a USB Type-C port like the Note 7.

Having used the iPhone 7 since launch, I do not miss the headphone jack. The supplied adapter allows me to use my old earbuds, Apple includes a set of Lightning EarPods in the box, and Bluetooth is stable and convenient enough to get me through as well.

As for the whole listening and charging argument, I can get 10-15% power in a couple of minutes if needed and am not nearly so attached to what i’m listening to that I wouldn’t be able to unplug my headphones and charge if needed.

Android users, fear not. Life will go on without your precious headphone jack.

As for any potential of a proprietary port in the phones that follow the S8, I really hope they stay away from this. Apple’s Lightning port, and 72-pin before it, always made sense to me because of the ecosystem that Apple had created. Their own hardware with their own OS, they’d done it before with FireWire, why wouldn’t they create their own port for the phone? It’s certainly paid off for the company as Lightning is far superior to any of the offerings from Android phone makers, USB-C included.

But as badly as they seem to want to be, Samsung is not Apple and blazing its own trail by making a specialty port of their own just seems stubborn and will likely confused and frustrate their users.

Samsung preemptively mocks Apple's decision to remove headphone jack

Juli Clover for MacRumours:

While on stage describing the new Galaxy Note7, Samsung marketing VP Justin Denison made sure to point out that its new device comes with a headphone jack as can be seen in the video, shared by iPhoneAddict.fr. “Want to know what else it comes with?” He asked. “An audio jack”.

The jokes lands well with a total of four people in the audience. Samsung’s always walked a very fine line in the design of their products. It’s sad that the one thing they can actually brag about is that, for once, they’re not lifting something from Apple. At least, not yet.