Galaxy S8 No Headphone Jack, No Home Button: Samsung Apparently Taking Cues From Apple

The Samsung Galaxy S8 will have no headphone jack and possibly no home button, just like Apple’s iPhone 7.

On Tuesday, Sam Mobile reported that the South Korean tech company’s upcoming smartphone would have a USB Type-C port instead of a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Samsung’s decision to design the Galaxy S8 with no headphone jack is expected to enable the company make the smartphone much thinner and also make room for more battery space.

Apple was arguably the first tech company to ditch the standard 3.5mm headphone jack with its iPhone 7, which was released in September. The Cupertino-based company received a backlash due to its decision to do away with the headphone jack. However, Apple defended the move, saying it was a display of “courage” to do something new and beneficial. Many other companies have since hopped on the bandwagon.

Just as Apple’s decision to abandon the 3.5mm headphone jack is said to have supported the sales of its AirPods, Samsung’s move in a similar direction would also benefit the sales of its Gear IconX.

While it is noteworthy that the Galaxy S8 won’t have a headphone jack, this wouldn’t be Samsung’s first smartphone without the seemingly ubiquitous headphone port. The ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 also shipped without the 3.5mm headphone jack. The device had a USB-Type C port instead. Since Samsung was forced to recall and stop production of the Galaxy Note 7 due to the battery of the device exploding, the upcoming Galaxy S8 would be the only smartphone from the company with a USB-Type C port.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone is expected to be unveiled at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, next year. Building the Galaxy S8 with no headphone jack could give Samsung the chance to improve the speaker of the smartphone.

Fon Arena reported that its sources claim the Galaxy S8 would come with dual stereo speakers like the iPhone 7. The speakers and the technology powering them would reportedly be designed by Harman. Samsung purchased Harman in a deal worth $8 billion in November to strengthen its connected car business. Neither Samsung nor Harman has confirmed or denied the reports about the dual speaker technology of the Galaxy S8.

Besides making the Galaxy S8 with no headphone jack and allegedly opting for dual stereo speakers like the iPhone 7, Samsung could also take inspiration from Apple in another way. According to Sam Mobile, there is a possibility that the Galaxy S8 would not come with a physical home button like its predecessors. Instead, the smartphone could have an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner fitted under the screen. Removing the home button would give Samsung the opportunity to design the upcoming device with an edge-to-edge display.

Since the Galaxy S8 would have no headphone jack, Samsung could build the device with a large and powerful battery. Following the battery debacle of the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung is expected to give its upcoming smartphone a powerful battery in a bid to win back the confidence of customers. There are rumors that the Galaxy S8 would have a removable battery. There have also been talks that Samsung has changed its battery supplier.

The Galaxy S8 will allegedly boast some cutting-edge features, including an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant and an improved camera setup. The upcoming smartphone is also expected to be compatible with virtual reality (VR) content out of the box. Samsung would reportedly release two versions of the Galaxy S8; one with a 6.2-inch display without any bezel and another with a 5.2-inch curved display and a thin bezel.

Will you miss not having a headphone jack on the Galaxy S8?

[Featured Image by David Ramos/Getty Images]