The legacy audio jack is disappearing. Well at least from smartphones. New reports are suggesting that the next big smartphone to ditch the port might be coming from Samsung, particularly the Galaxy S8. The smartphone is due next year and it is possible that the company will take the step to keep up with the modern design trends. And well the company doesn’t want be left behind.
Apple took the big step of removing the 3.5mm audio jack from its new iPhones this year as a move to progress into the future. The Android world started saying goodbye to the age-old port before Apple, for instance LeEco announced two smartphones earlier this year that utilise USB-C for audio. Lenovo’s new Moto Z is another example that ditches the audio jack allowing it go as thin as 5.2mm.
Samsung recently started adopting the new USB-C port on the Galaxy Note 7. Speaking of which, the smartphone has been a huge fiasco due to
a number of units having faulty batteries, exploding all around the world. The new Galaxy S8 should definitely get the new USB-C port as it allows for faster transfer of data and power. But will it also be used to route audio? Time will tell.
The company could retain the port and take the path that Google took with its Pixel smartphones. That, in my opinion, would be a good response to Apple as well. And with so much criticism coming from the failure of the Note 7, Samsung shouldn’t take bold steps that could potentially hurt its reputation further.