Arguably the biggest change introduced on the iPhone 7 was the removal of the headphone jack, and it seems the company has started somewhat of a trend.
That is, if a new report from DigitalMusicNews is to be believed. According to a pair of South Korean sources ‘involved in the broader supply chain of Samsung’s smartphones’, the company is considering a similar move to Apple.
Not only could Samsung do away with the headphone jack on its upcoming devices, the sources also suggest the company will introduce a proprietary port of its own, again following Apple’s lead.
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Samsung is also said to be planning to block Apple from licensing this new proprietary port, which could have a major impact on future of headphones.
Headphone manufacturers would be forced to choose which connection to prioritise, and with more Android devices in circulation than iPhones, it could make life very difficult for Apple.
The Cupertino firm’s latest handset came with a Lightning connection and no 3.5mm headphone jack, although there is a 3.5mm to Lightning adapter provided.
If Samsung is indeed planning to follow suit and introduce its own proprietary port, the design could be licensed to other smartphone makers, essentially creating an Android rival to Apple’s Lightning port.
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Just what the port will be wasn’t disclosed by the sources, but it could be that Samsung is considering the USB-C jack used by the Moto Z and Moto Z Force.
It’s also claimed that Samsung intends to improve audio quality with its rumoured new headphone port.
If the report is accurate, it would also mean those that use Apple and Android products would either have to use Bluetooth headphones or adapters.
Of course, there’s no way to confirm today’s report, and Samsung is yet to comment on the rumours. But it certainly seems the 3.5mm port could soon be a thing of the past.
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Would you like to see the end of the 3.5mm jack? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
