Report: Samsung to drop the headphone jack from its phones

[midian182]

Through the looking glass: Back in 2016, Apple caused an uproar by removing what it called the “dinosaur” headphone jack from the iPhone 7. Despite facing almost universal criticism for the decision, virtually every other phone maker has gone down the same route and dropped the long-used port, with Samsung being the most notable exception. But a new report claims that will change late next year.

Citing supply chain sources, ETNews writes that Samsung is considering joining most other companies by replacing the 3.5mm jack on its handsets with a USB Type-C port.

Samsung likes to mock Apple over the fact the Korean firm still offers a headphone jack, but it seems that the temptation to drop the port may be too strong. In addition to offering more space for better, larger components, such as the battery, removing the jack could encourage more people to buy Samsung’s wireless headphones, as was the case with Apple and its Airpods.

“According to market researcher Strategy Analytics (SA), the global wireless earphone market is expected to reach 73.9 million units in 2019 and 100 million units in 2022,” writes ET News. “It is 42% growth from 51.9 million last year to two years.”

It appears that Samsung’s next flagship, the Galaxy S10, will retain the jack, but it may be its last phone to do so. The company will reportedly drop it from the Galaxy Note 10 or 2020’s Galaxy S11.

There’s no confirmation that Samsung does plan to drop the jack, but it seems inevitable that the company will eventually cave. The tech giant should be praised for hanging on for so long, but, like removable batteries, it appears that the 3.5mm port will soon become another smartphone element to go extinct.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/76863-report-samsung-drop-headphone-jack-phones.html

 

[gigantor21]

Oh, goddammit, them too?

Getting real sick of these smartphone companies blindly following Apple's design cues without any benefit for the consumer...

 

[ForgottenLegion]

How about invest and advance battery technology instead of removing features to accommodate a larger battery to power the ever increasing screen sizes and resolutions.

How long until the charging port goes too along with OTG capabilities. Then Apple will introduce eSims which others will follow leading to the removal of the sim tray and consequently microSD slot.

 

[BSim500]

No problem. I simply won't buy a Samsung phone either...

 

[iamcts]

Bluetooth earphones work just fine these days...

Pretty soon you people will have no phones to buy. Notches and missing headphone jacks seem to outrage everyone who can't learn to adapt.

 

[Dimitrios]

First thing that comes to mind is this meme.

 

[frostyshield]

Can't wait until they ditch the screen.

 

[Dimitrios]

Oh, goddammit, them too?

Getting real sick of these smartphone companies blindly following Apple's design cues without any benefit for the consumer...

These cell phone makers are more focused on fashion & looks instead of usefulness.

 

[kevbev89]

Can't wait until they ditch the screen.

I chuckled. Witty comment indeed

 

[Polycount]

Yeah, if this is true, the S11 will be the last phone I purchase from Samsung, and possibly the last new smartphone I purchase for a while. I don't like wireless headphones, never have. Too easy to lose. The sound quality of my wired headphones is significantly better, and they are much cheaper to replace if ever I need to.

Not sure why Samsung would ditch it, frankly. I can't help but think some of their popularity comes from holding on to it for so long. Why become Apple 2.0?

 

[madboyv1]

I'm gonna be honest, ever since I got my S8 shortly after release, I've used the 3.5mm jack little more than a half dozen times, most of which were on airplanes. Every other (Almost daily) time I needed sound it was either through android auto (which is bluetooth and USB) or bluetooth.

So really, I don't have as much of a need for a headphone jack on phone anymore, but I like having the option for the rare moments where I do. My biggest complaint honestly is that if you do need a headphone jack you DO have the option of using the USB-C/lightning port to run an adapter... at either the expense of not being able to charge by power cable, or you turn your phone into an octopus. Neither of those options are appealing to me, but I'll manage when it eventually happens.

 

[mbrowne5061]

Bluetooth earphones work just fine these days...

Pretty soon you people will have no phones to buy. Notches and missing headphone jacks seem to outrage everyone who can't learn to adapt.

I still haven't bought a new phone. I'll buy a candy bar or a flip before I buy a notched phone or one without a headphone jack.

 

[Squid Surprise]

"The tech giant should be praised for hanging on for so long,"

Yeah, good work being a dinosaur.... they only held on for so long because they thought that by "opposing" Apple, they'd get some people to leave the iOS ecosystem and buy one of their devices... looks like that worked really well for them.

Other than the few cranks posting on forums like this, the VAST majority of smartphone users don't need a 3.5mm port, and didn't miss it when it disappeared.

The difference in sound quality between wired and wireless headphones ON A SMARTPHONE is virtually zero - I'd wager 99.9% of you couldn't tell the difference in a blind test.

 

[ShagnWagn]

Considering that I use a very expensive pair of headphones several times a week (won them), I guess I will not be buying any new phones. No, I am not going to spend hundreds of dollars to buy wireless headphones - especially inferior ones. The two second delay on bluetooth audio is not acceptable either. I rarely play a phone game with headphones because the audio is so out of sync. How long has it been out and it's still not been figured out?? Am I the only one having a huge delay? I've crawled the web trying to find a solution. No answers to multiple complaints out there.

While bigger batteries would be nice (I guess?), how about stop raising the resolution on the screens?? Please tell me why we will need 8K resolution on a 5" screen...!

 

[Squid Surprise]

Considering that I use a very expensive pair of headphones several times a week (won them), I guess I will not be buying any new phones. No, I am not going to spend hundreds of dollars to buy wireless headphones - especially inferior ones. The two second delay on bluetooth audio is not acceptable either. I rarely play a phone game with headphones because the audio is so out of sync. How long has it been out and it's still not been figured out?? Am I the only one having a huge delay? I've crawled the web trying to find a solution. No answers to multiple complaints out there.

While bigger batteries would be nice (I guess?), how about stop raising the resolution on the screens?? Please tell me why we will need 8K resolution on a 5" screen...!

Or you could buy a $10 adapter... had you bought a new phone earlier, the adapter would have even been free

 

[iamcts]

Yeah, if this is true, the S11 will be the last phone I purchase from Samsung, and possibly the last new smartphone I purchase for a while. I don't like wireless headphones, never have. Too easy to lose. The sound quality of my wired headphones is significantly better, and they are much cheaper to replace if ever I need to.

Not sure why Samsung would ditch it, frankly. I can't help but think some of their popularity comes from holding on to it for so long. Why become Apple 2.0?

If wired headphones can detach from the phone, how do you not lose them? That's the weirdest argument I've ever heard. You could lose both just as easy.

The audio quality between wired and wireless headphones, especially with the newest versions of Bluetooth, is nearly indistinguishable. So, both of your reservations make no sense.

 

[Polycount]

If wired headphones can detach from the phone, how do you not lose them? That's the weirdest argument I've ever heard. You could lose both just as easy.

The audio quality between wired and wireless headphones, especially with the newest versions of Bluetooth, is nearly indistinguishable. So, both of your reservations make no sense.

My reservations are my own, obviously, I only speak for myself.

I have found the quality of the wired headphones I own to be superior to wireless headphones I've owned. I have found it easier to avoid losing my wired headphones than wireless headphones I've owned, mostly because I can wrap them around (I know, I know, not great for durability - but I've never had issues, except on very poor quality sets) the device itself.

It's all personal opinion. I think the push for the removal of the headphone jack is silly because it doesn't jive with my personal experiences.

 

[ShagnWagn]

Or you could buy a $10 adapter... had you bought a new phone earlier, the adapter would have even been free

So you are saying I need to buy an adapter for every set of headphones I have? And unplug and plug back in when I use one of my other devices that still use the jack? Or that I have to carry an adapter everywhere I go? What's the point of having a "slimmer" phone when I have to carry around and keep track of two things now? When (a majority?) of the headphones still sold use the headphone jack? Wait until the market is saturated with wireless, which I assume hasn't happened because it's not a superior technology. Those all point to an epic fail in my book.

I haven't bought a new phone because I don't need one yet.

 

[BSim500]

So you are saying I need to buy an adapter for every set of headphones I have? And unplug and plug back in when I use one of my other devices that still use the jack? Or that I have to carry an adapter everywhere I go? What's the point of having a "slimmer" phone when I have to carry around and keep track of two things now?

"Saving space" - Low Information Consumer style...

Meanwhile everyone else just wants a thicker phone with double the battery life. Unfortunately, that would cause self-obsessed art-students to burst into tears, and we can't have that on the streets...

 

[Theinsanegamer]

Bluetooth earphones work just fine these days...

Pretty soon you people will have no phones to buy. Notches and missing headphone jacks seem to outrage everyone who can't learn to adapt.

Bluetooth is objectionably inferior for audio streaming. It has a noticeable lag that is absent on corded headphones, the hyper-compressed audio sounds tinny and, well, compressed to ****, because it is. And if you think I'm gonna buy a new radio for my car(s) to use bluetooth over 3.5mm, and replace my home audio system, AND replace my nice noise canceling headphones, you got a couple screws loose.

I can learn to adapt to only having one leg, doesnt mean I'm gonna chop mine off claiming it is superior and everyone else just needs to adapt.

Also, notice that the midrange market has plenty of phones, and none of them are removing jacks. And those phones often have better battery life then the flagships. Honestly, the flagships are for people with more money then sense, and the phone makers know this. Midrange buyers wont put up with dongles like $1k flagship owners will.

 

[Squid Surprise]

So you are saying I need to buy an adapter for every set of headphones I have? And unplug and plug back in when I use one of my other devices that still use the jack? Or that I have to carry an adapter everywhere I go? What's the point of having a "slimmer" phone when I have to carry around and keep track of two things now? When (a majority?) of the headphones still sold use the headphone jack? Wait until the market is saturated with wireless, which I assume hasn't happened because it's not a superior technology. Those all point to an epic fail in my book.

I haven't bought a new phone because I don't need one yet.

How many headphones do you have?!?!?

Since you only have ONE smartphone, however, you obviously just need to keep the adapter with the device...

Most people, on the other hand, (those who only use one set of headphones for their smartphone) will just plug the adapter into that pair of headphones and it simply makes the headphone cord 2 inches longer...

 

[iamcts]

Bluetooth is objectionably inferior for audio streaming. It has a noticeable lag that is absent on corded headphones, the hyper-compressed audio sounds tinny and, well, compressed to ****, because it is. And if you think I'm gonna buy a new radio for my car(s) to use bluetooth over 3.5mm, and replace my home audio system, AND replace my nice noise canceling headphones, you got a couple screws loose.

I can learn to adapt to only having one leg, doesnt mean I'm gonna chop mine off claiming it is superior and everyone else just needs to adapt.

Also, notice that the midrange market has plenty of phones, and none of them are removing jacks. And those phones often have better battery life then the flagships. Honestly, the flagships are for people with more money then sense, and the phone makers know this. Midrange buyers wont put up with dongles like $1k flagship owners will.

You must own devices that use super old versions of Bluetooth then. I can play FLAC quality music over Bluetooth in my car and earphones and it sounds immaculate.

 

[senketsu]

Bluetooth earphones work just fine these days...

Pretty soon you people will have no phones to buy. Notches and missing headphone jacks seem to outrage everyone who can't learn to adapt.

so I'm a crank and someone that can't learn to adapt. Thanks for that personality assessment. The reality is that I don't want something else to charge (the headphones) and the wired one's I have work so well I see no need to buy something new. That o.k. with you....

 

[Arbie]

Why do people simply ignore facts that are inconvenient to their argument? I have both wired (simple earbud) and bluetooth (LG) phones. They both sound good.

The LG wireless is great for letting me play music on my PC but still move around - and that's it. Compared to the earbuds it is extremely complex, incompatible with traditional players, expensive, huge, heavy, clunky around my neck, and requires frequent recharge which also means wall power and an adapter. And there is far less choice in earpiece shape. That's a truckload of negatives.

So 90% of the time I will prefer the old-skool earbuds, and won't like needing a dongle to use them. Do phones really need to be thinner, at the expense of a 3.5mm jack? Are the phones without the jack usefully / noticeably thinner? Who actually wants to *not* have such a jack?

If Samsung goes through with this it will reduce my interest in their product.

As would removing microSD, if they do that too. Being a dinosaur, I love having almost infinite, cheap, swappable storage space.

 

[psycros]

Bluetooth earphones work just fine these days...

Pretty soon you people will have no phones to buy. Notches and missing headphone jacks seem to outrage everyone who can't learn to adapt.

And when people don't upgrade their phones its going to be the manufacturers who have to adapt to market demands. Exactly the way it should be.