Looks like Samsung is following Apple’s move with the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack in their upcoming Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone. The new device will use USB Type-C connector instead to facilitate the headphone connectivity function in the form of adapters. After taking a ton of criticism for the design, Apple’s self proclaimed “courageous” move might not be too crazy after all. Several companies and Chinese OEM’s such as LeEco and HTC have ditched the port already but Samsung is a giant company so this move will have far reaching influence in the Android smartphone world. There are other great forces at work as well to push the 3.5mm headphone jack out of the way in favor of USB Type-C, such as Intel who has been campaigning for a move away from analog audio.
The recurring rationale is that ditching the now decades old 3.5mm headphone jack will free up real-estate on the unit and allow for a greater screen area while producing a thinner device. With the outrage subsiding, Apple’s solution is to focus on pushing Bluetooth products for a hands-free wire-free connection. The official announcement of Bluetooth 5 specifications showing significant bandwidth and signal performance, this move might not have been premature after all. Samsung is no stranger to courting controversy in feature removal as they have ditched removable batteries when the Galaxy S6 was released and it seems everyone is fine with that idea now.
Without the 3.5mm jack, analysts also suggest that Samsung intends to integrate stereo speakers. This is a plausible move considering Samsung recently acquired HARMAN a few weeks ago for $8.0 billion. Harman International Industries allows Samsung to be a player in the audio arena and allows for greater device integration considering HARMAN’s experience in the automotive market. HARMAN also owns several leading audio brands such as JBL, Harman Kardon, AKG and more so a fully integrated wireless Bluetooth ecosystem might be in the cards.
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