Like Apple’s iPhone 7, Samsung Galaxy S8 Expected to Ditch 3.5mm Headphone Jack

Hot off the heels of arguably the most fiery, battery-related tech fiascos in history, a new report alleges that Samsung will be shaking things up a bit next year, by following in Apple’s footsteps and axing the legacy 3.5mm headphone jack on its upcoming Galaxy S8 flagship.

According to the report, which was published Tuesday morning by SamMobile, Samsung has “confirmed” that its forthcoming Galaxy S8 flagship — which could debut as early as February of 2017 — will, much akin to Apple’s iPhone 7, not feature an analog headphone jack. Samsung was quick to defend its decision, citing the company’s continuous effort to make its flagship devices thinner, while allowing for a larger battery to be installed.

The report also alleges that the South Korean tech-giant will be employing a lone USB-C port for charging, data transfers, and, for those still clinging to their wired headsets for dear life, vastly improved audio output via USB-C. Additionally, albeit unrelated to the headphone jack, Samsung’s Galaxy S8 is rumored to feature a home button embedded directly underneath the display itself — a feature that’s been long rumored to be employed by Apple’s iPhone 8 later on next fall, as well.

While it may seem like Samsung is [once again] riding on the coattails of Apple’s strategic design plans, one also needs to consider that Apple’s iPhone 7 was merely the first of what will ultimately be a laundry list of high-end smartphones to nip the analog audio jack next year — particularly as users continue to warm up to the concept of enjoying their audio wirelessly.

And, of course, Samsung’s Galaxy S8 will also have the advantage of coming at a time when nearly all the iPhone 7 headset hysteria has subsided, and many customers, whether they’re iPhone 7 adopters or otherwise, are more willing to embrace a ‘wire-free’ lifestyle.

Samsung is likely to reveal its high-end Galaxy S8 flagships at Mobile World Congress — an annual smartphone exhibition and trade show held each February in Barcelona, Spain — next year. As of yet, we know very little about the device, itself; but we are nonetheless hoping (at least until further notice, for Samsung’s sake) that the handset delivers in many of the areas where the doomed Galaxy Note 7 never had the chance to.

Are you planning on picking up one of Samsung’s audio jack-free Galaxy S8 smartphones?
Let us know in the comments!

Featured Image: Samsung HD Blog

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]