Samsung's Next Flagship Smartphone May Not Feature a Headphone Jack (sammobile.com) 446
Samsung's next flagship smartphone, which may be released sooner than later due to the Note 7 fiasco, may not feature a 3.5mm headphone jack. In fact, Samsung may be one of many manufacturers to make the jump from the 3.5mm headphone jack to USB-C for audio. The USB Implementers Forum published the Audio Device Class 3.0 specification that brings USB Audio over USB Type-C. What this means is that "mobile devices including smartphones, tablets and ultraportable laptops could ditch the headphone jack in the very near future without worrying about having to bake audio support into USB-C or a new, proprietary port," writes Chris Smith via BGR. SamMobile adds: "Removing the dedicated audio plug will also allow OEMs to create smartphones that are slimmer and have better water resistance capabilities."
Sigh not more of this bullshit (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Sigh not more of this bullshit (Score:5, Interesting)
I like being able to charge my phone AND listen to music. It's not a niche use. Millions of people do it every day. I don't want wireless headphones. At least nail down wireless charging before you jam every possible output/input through one port.
It is as if Samsung wants everyone to abandon them. All of my portable electronics are Samsung but because of non-sense like this along with non-removable batteries and a lack of SD card slots I'll probably be making the jump to LG next time I'm in the market for a new device, but for right now I'm sticking with a Note 4 because, in my opinion, it's the last decent phone in the Galaxy lineup.
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Re:Sigh not more of this bullshit (Score:5, Interesting)
I agree. Hopefully they will ADD a USB port and not just leave us hanging. I would like to see an additional port on the opposite edge of my current charging port. Almost every USB implementation includes 2 available ports and they could utilize the existing boards without having to expand the size. I am also not really actively seeking a phone that is thinner overall, make it smaller to better fit in a pocket and flexible to better withstand the squashing effect.
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I agree. Hopefully they will ADD a USB port and not just leave us hanging. I would like to see an additional port on the opposite edge of my current charging port. Almost every USB implementation includes 2 available ports and they could utilize the existing boards without having to expand the size. I am also not really actively seeking a phone that is thinner overall, make it smaller to better fit in a pocket and flexible to better withstand the squashing effect.
It's a PHONE. Want multipke ports? Get a hub.
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Yes, because watching a movie on a long flight while having your phone plugged in to keep it charged NEVER happens.
Or are we ALL supposed to 'baaaa' when corps tell us to jump?
Just another reason to pick up a Chinese phone for half the price, which delivers 90% of the functionality.
but no, macs4all, I can see that your actual motivation is to defend the retarded choice YOUR religion has already forced on you.
I suggest you get over it - some of the rest of the world prefers choice..
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Your on a flight, you have to have flight mode enabled. At that point wireless headphones are not an option.
It is one of the major use cases that shows the stupidity of removing the headphone jack.
Re:Sigh not more of this bullshit (Score:5, Informative)
That's not correct. While "flight mode" on some phones may also turn off Bluetooth, there is no issue with using Bluetooth (or WiFi) on a plane. My phone disables cellular/BT/WiFi when I switch to airplane mode, but I can then turn Bluetooth back on.
Source: FAA [faa.gov]
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but no, macs4all, I can see that your actual motivation is to defend the retarded choice YOUR religion has already forced on you. I suggest you get over it - some of the rest of the world prefers choice..
Says the person who just called someone a childish insulting name for his choice of phone...
The rest of the world prefers choice, unless of course it isn't the same choice you made, right?
To be fair the only choice of phone he specified was one with a headphone jack. Fuck the iphone and now fuck the samsung. Anyone else who drops it, well fuck them too.
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To this I would add, make a nice metal detai
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Re:Sigh not more of this bullshit (Score:5, Funny)
Not being tied to your phone by the short headphone cable could protect you from your exploding phone.
Smart thinking.
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That's nice. Use wireless charging.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, Samsung are a bit Me-Too (Score:2)
Where Apple leads they follow, its a bit tragic really. You'd think a company as large as Samsung could come up with original ideas that DONT affect functionality. Yes they had edge, but thats just a gimmick rather than something genuinely useful.
Lets see how much the next Samsung Wireless Headphones cost. Which incidentaly will probably be incompatible with every other phone.
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>I like being able to charge my phone AND listen to music.
Its a Samsung, so you might not want to be too close to your phone when you charge it, you might get caught in the explosion.
Anyway the good news is that the latest Kindle Fire has a microSD slot so you can use it as an >MP3 player, you aren't just stuck with streaming.
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In addition, I wish companies would stop with the "better water resistance" BS. My Kyocera Hydro VIBE, released in 2014, has a headphone jack (and user-replacable battery) and is certified waterproof to 1m for 30min. If Kyocera could do it 2 years ago, Samsung and Apple should be able to do now with these features - unless people want to go SCUBA diving with their phones.
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> Some people still have tape decks in their POS cars and use their phones instead of a $300 stereo upgrade.
There's really no need to spend that much even. If you think that's the case, perhaps you just like blowing money and pretending that you're richer than you really are.
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Upgrading the stereo in a lot of cars is painful, the stock systems often integrate with various other features of the car and you'll lose this integration if you replace the system.
A lot of older car audio systems, especially the higher end ones have very good sound quality but just lack modern playback sources. Connecting a phone, or other audio source to the stock system is generally the easiest, most effective and most future proof thing to do.
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If you spent $300 on a "stereo upgrade" in your car, then you're probably a little simple.
Re: Sigh not more of this bullshit (Score:3)
I have tried both. Will go for antidepressants any day.
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It is somewhat difficult on SSRI, but doable, especially when combined with Bupropion. Hookers are fine, but antidepressants are more helpful still.
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I have a second vehicle that is a piece of crap SUV that I use during inclement weather or when I need to haul things around - it still has a tape deck in it. I use one of those crappy tape-to-phono adapters with a cheap bluetooth audio receiver USB stick thing to play music.
Why? The speakers are garbage, the amplifier is garbage, so the audio stream can be garbage and nobody will notice. The convenience of not having to plug things in / unplug things whenever getting in and out of that piece of crap is
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Samsung's Next Flagship Smartphone May Not Be Purchased by Me
I won't buy one either, and I have only ever had Samsung phones. I'm not worried though, there are lots of Android phone model available, and one of them will suit me just fine.
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Samsung's Next Flagship Smartphone May Not Be Purchased by Me
I won't buy one either, and I have only ever had Samsung phones. I'm not worried though, there are lots of Android phone model available, and one of them will suit me just fine.
And every stinkin' one that you'll want to buy will be jackless by the next model rev.
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And every stinkin' one that you'll want to buy will be jackless by the next model rev.
That is not how capitalism works. If the demand is there, there will be jacked cellphones for a long time.
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Samsung's Next Flagship Smartphone May Not Be Purchased by Me
I won't buy one either, and I have only ever had Samsung phones. I'm not worried though, there are lots of Android phone model available, and one of them will suit me just fine.
And every stinkin' one that you'll want to buy will be jackless by the next model rev.
Well, I guess that means no more new expensive phones for me. If they don't do what I want it's back to dumb phones. Actually I'd be half suprised if apple didn't turn around sue because they have a patent on single port design or someshit. Don't forget there's no samsung reality distortion field. Them trying to do what apple does won't work as well because they won't be defended to the hilt regardless of what they do, It might sell a few but watch them put the jack back in next model. It's the sd card slot
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Samsung's Next Flagship Smartphone May Not Be Purchased by Me
I won't buy one either, and I have only ever had Samsung phones. I'm not worried though, there are lots of Android phone model available, and one of them will suit me just fine.
And every stinkin' one that you'll want to buy will be jackless by the next model rev.
I know you really want all manufacturers to make the stupid, selfish decision that your masters made, but reality isn't going to conform to your desires on this occasion. Sorry bud.
I will keep on buying phones with 3.5mm jacks for the foreseeable future, want to fucking bet?
We don't need slimmer phones (Score:5, Insightful)
Phones are already so thin as to be barely usable with average hands. Why do they keep thinking they need to be thinner? Please help me understand.
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For tiny Trump hotdog fingers.
Re:We don't need slimmer phones (Score:5, Insightful)
Right? Thicken the phone back up with some more battery and leave my headphones alone. I don't give a flying fuck about water proof/resistance. Shit, doesn't a phone going in a pool help their sales?
Re:We don't need slimmer phones (Score:5, Insightful)
You don't need a slimmer phone. Samsung and Apple do.
They are purposefully kneecapping their hardware so that they can continue to "improve" the hardware in subsequent revisions, giving people a reason to upgrade (if they built a phone that people actually wanted to the quality you'd expect from a premium device, everyone would have the same phone for 5-10 years and that's bad for business). It's guaranteed Apple will release the 7S (or iPhone 8) and tout the new and improved battery life like it's some sort of miracle.
Likewise, slim devices are subject to more mechanical stress than a fat phone. This too is great for hardware manufactures because it means the phone will more reliably fail once the warranty is expired. Good luck keeping an iPhone 7 around for 5 years (or longer).
It's not about you. It's about planned and forced obsolescence, and nothing else.
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It's not about you. It's about planned and forced obsolescence, and nothing else.
These phones have been breaking over and over again and manufacturers have been going out of their way to invest in more durable better glass, less bendyness etc. Phones are super fragile as they are and being sold in contracts with "free" (that's free as in not free at all) upgrades doesn't mean they have an issue with obsolescence. The upgrade cycle for most people already has a 2 year maximum on it, and quite a lot break before then anyway.
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What a dark world you must live in. Much like your mother's basement, I'd imagine...
Did I see you have a go at someone elsewhere in this thread for peurile insults? lol.
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They don't (necessarily think that). It's a bullshit marketing excuse for removing a 25 cent part, then selling you something to replace it to make another $5 in profit. Same with the water resistant BS - it's no harder to make a waterproof 3.5 jack than it is to make a waterproof USB one. The concept is identical.
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It's actually much simpler to waterproof the standard 3.5 mm mini jack, or even the newfangled "TRRS" jack.
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yes, this is it exactly, you nailed it...don't heed anyone telling you otherwise
this is *exactly* what is happening
and no, we don't need slimmer phones, no one is clamoring for it
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What are talking about? Phones are massive these days. The current iPhones range from 113 to 192g. My last non-smart phone weighed about 80g, and was also tiny in comparison - more than 30% smaller because components weren't as light.
The thiness of the current phones also allows to have a larger flat surface to work with, so actually thinness isn't the thing you should be complaining about. My tiny phone I had before had far less area dedicated to the keypad, and I don't really miss having to type every
Are consumers REALLY asking for this? (Score:5, Insightful)
It seems to me that this is an example of corporations quite clearly forcing consumers into something they don't want. They only way to stop them is to NOT buy these devices.
I have 2 older iPods, a smartphone, a surround sound a/v receiver, CD players, MP3 players, ancient transistor radios, etc., and NONE of them work with USB headphones. All of them work with standard audio jacks. I'm not investing in new headphones, dongles, cables, etc.
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We don't want this.... (Score:5, Insightful)
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Why only 24h? Back in the ol' days, our "feature phones" (think Nokia N95) easily held out several days, if not an entire week. Simpler phones remained usable for a couple of weeks, on a single charge.
Having to charge every other day, when you have multiple such devices (think phone, tablet, fitness band/watch, etc.) that you have to do it for a whole batch of stuff, every night! No thanks! I can't even stand cordless keyboard/mouse as they'll crap out at the worst possible times...
Asus (Score:2)
I have an S5. Good phone. Removable battery. Wateproof/resistant. SD card. Headphone jack.
My wife has an Asus Zenfone2. Also good with all up the above except the waterproofing. Also cheaper.
Samsung kills the headphone jack, guess which brand *my* next phone will be.
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Apple? /ducks
No choice (Score:5, Insightful)
Samsung has no choice here. As the only real competitor to Apple, they can't be left with 40 year old analog technology while the rest of the industry is tripping over themselves to make audio hardware that supports the Lightning connector, which Apple exclusively controls all the licensing for. If Samsung does not remove the analog audio jack, then there will not be a large enough market for a micro-USB digital audio competitor to Apple's Lightning. The only way to get manufacturers to produce enough USB audio devices is to create a large market (and thus a low enough price point to compete with Lightning audio devices), only Samsung moves enough Android handsets to do that, and it has to be done by removing the analog audio jack. Apple has already caught Samsung flat-footed here, and there is going to be a significant delay until companies start producing micro-USB audio hardware. The Lightening audio market will be flourishing (if it isn't already) before Samsung even gets the devices to market.
Android devices will also face an issue with compatibility. Micro-USB does not by default support powering peripherals. That is what USB On-The-Go (OTG) is for. What this means is that micro-USB headphones will not work on all Android devices, because not all devices support OTG. Especially older ones and the cheap tablet market. That fragmentation will result in a negative impression of Android for some people (these new micro-USB headphones work with my wife's Android phone, but not my tablet - how come?).
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What stops them from supporting both a headphone jack and adding USB-C headphone support? NOTHING...
I disagree with the assertion that Samsung NEEDS to push USB-C devices. I.m pretty sure that there are plenty of other uses beyond cell phones... The business environment is much larger than Samsung and a lot of Corps have gone to VoIP which require headsets.
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From a technical standpoint, what is stopping manufacturers from creating Micro-USB or USB-C headphones now? Nothing. So why aren't there many to choose from? There is no incentive because there is no market. That's what I'm talking about, is Samsung creating a market for those devices. Unless the market is forced, it will not exist, and Samsung phones will not have a vibrant market of digital audio peripherals for their customers, yet Apple will. It's an arms race that Apple is winning, and that Samsung mu
Re:No choice (Score:4, Insightful)
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Why would they want to "force" a market that has been possible for years but consumers clearly have no interest in? How would this benefit Samsung?
Who cares if Apple forces an MFI-only digital audio ecosystem, when the existing audio ecosystem is a thousand times bigger? If it eventually turns out that digital headphones are awesome then vendors will inevitably sell them for USB as well (which is a far larger market). Phone manufacturers could happily bundle them too, with no other changes and no need to al
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Well, for one thing, the audio standard for USB-C was just ratified. It's right there in TFS!
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Re:No choice (Score:5, Insightful)
I've never figured out that "40 year old analog technology" angle. My Mark-1 ears are also 40 year old analogy technology, so I think they match up just fine.
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Your ears are only 40 years old? What sort of nerd are ya? :) You should be able to pick up some genuine Spock ears from the ST-TOS online.
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Samsung DOES have a choice. WTF are you babbling about? Samsung can do whatever they want, but can still leave the 3.5 mm jack in place.
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You are an idiot to think that Samsung has no choice but to fuck over consumers.
it is a data port that also does audio (Score:2)
wrong!
it is a *data port* that is *also* a ridiculously backwards compatible audio port
look at Square credit card readers and dozens of other examples...one port, one devices, which works on all smartphones (and tablets!)
Apple did this because that's how they pump up their profits...they remove data ports, say "innovation!" and reap millions on dongles...it's awful but it's not completely unprecidented (Microsoft is worse but that's no comfort)...
Samsung is worse than Apple...
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they can't be left with 40 year old analog technology
As opposed to all those digital headphones that feature such wonderful innovations such as ... a different connector and a higher price?
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If Samsung does not remove the analog audio jack, then there will not be a large enough market for a micro-USB digital audio competitor to Apple's Lightning. The only way to get manufacturers to produce enough USB audio devices is to create a large market (and thus a low enough price point to compete with Lightning audio devices), only Samsung moves enough Android handsets to do that, and it has to be done by removing the analog audio jack.
Good. USB audio should die. Let Apple fanbois have their expensive hardware. Most of the world is perfectly happy with headphones the way they are and if there's a complaint about the connection it's the connection in the first place. Having a 3.5mm jack doesn't stop the ability to support wireless.
If they remove the 3.5mm jack than my long relationship with Samsung phones will have come to an end. Apple users are locked in. Samsung users are not and there are many Android alternatives.
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Dunno what it is, but from where I stand bluetooth audio (or maybe Alpine stereo) needs some learnen.
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Last time I rented a car, it had one of those that could do bluetooth or analogue. I spent a while battling with it to make it work over bluetooth, because I (probably like many people here) refused to admit defeat over something like that.
Then after an hour battling rather peculiar behaviour with the play/pause/skip buttons, I gave up and plugged in the analogue cable instead.
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it's the codec being used over Bluetooth. If it's using the standard crap that's been available for like 10 years, it's bitcrushed over-compressed crap. Newer stuff uses different codecs that are far more efficient, but even the marketingspeak only claims "near CD-quality".
Bluetooth audio is shit if you are looking for fidelity. If you're just looking for a waveform to come out of speakers, it's adequate.
Idiots (Score:2)
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You worry about the radiation from Bluetooth? And you call the vendors idiots?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
2 things I look for when I buy a phone (Score:2)
Headphone jack. I can use that jack to plug my phone into my stereo. I can use that jack for a 20 year old pair of headphones that still sound pretty damned good. Or I can use that jack for earbuds when I'm trying to exercise my skinny
Cut to the chase: phone without speakers or mic (Score:5, Funny)
Toldja So (Score:2, Insightful)
Guess Samsung is still all about copying Apple ( yet again) after all...
Now watch as all the Fandroids rush to post that the iPhone wasn't first to eliminate the 3.5 mm Jack, which I also pointed out while those same people tripped over each other to say that the iPhone was completely ignoring their users,
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A few weeks ago, when all the Apple Haters were excoriating Apple for removing the 3.5 mm Jack in the iPhone 7, I predicted right here that this would happen within a year after the iPhone 7 came out.
You predicted that someone on the internet would speculate that maybe Samsung might do something similar possibly but is only guessing?
Awesome skills bro...
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There is exactly zero evidence that Samsung is even considering removing the 3.5mm jack. None. It's 100% pure, unadulterated, speculation from one of BGR's worst "reporters".
You might want to wait to brag about the accuracy of your prognostications until, you know, they actually come true.
Another Galaxy Failure? (Score:2)
Especially after the Galaxy S6 colossal failure with not having the microSD slot and no removable battery.
Then with the S7 Note still having the locked in battery so they have to change it, and is looking like they have to do a second recall.
This path with the S8 looks like intentional suicide.
How utterly predictable from Samsung. (Score:2)
I used to defend these guys for 'copying' the iPhone back in the day (to an extent) since that's just how smart phones 'work best'
That being said, these dozy bastards continue to basically copy Apple every god damned turn. They neuter phones (removing SD cards) they neuter phones (non removable battery) they make obstinate Apple like decisions (cuved only display on the Note 7, UGH) I think one of the only good things they do is wireless charging and the continued support of a _physical_ fucking home bu
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I like my headphone port, you wanna be smart? Make it 2.5mm like Blackberry tried, let's take another shot at it, see if Nokia, HTC, LG follow suit - let's switch all 3.5mm jacks to 2.5mm over the next decade? But this no headphone thing is bunk.
How is an incompatible analog port better than an incompatible digital port?
At least the digital port can be used for other things. And to use your old headphones you'd need an adapter either way.
The analog adapter would be cheaper. But that's all I can come up with.
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No need for a DAC in every set of headphones.
They get their space savings they want.
Adapter is cheap and already exists.
Potentially a universal standard.
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Changing the connector is still changing the connector. Now, instead of saving a bit of space inside the phone (spurious justification at best), you are saving no space and still using a dongle of some variety so you can plug in your 3.5mm cable.
Leave the god damn thing alone, or do something that is actually better. For the record, neither what Apple has done, nor Samsung possibly, is better.
nght (Score:2)
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My Next Flagship Smartphone (Score:2)
May Not Feature a Samsung Logo.
Just Don't Buy It (Score:4, Insightful)
That's all you have to do, and these stupid lame assholes will get fired, and their replacements will know enough not to take away useful features.
If you buy one, you are part of the problem.
If you don't buy one, you are part of the solution.
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That's all you have to do, and these stupid lame assholes will get fired, and their replacements will know enough not to take away useful features.
If you buy one, you are part of the problem.
If you don't buy one, you are part of the solution.
Yes your one missed theoretical sale will definitely be noticed and acted on. We've seen this before, manufacturers follow each other around like sheep - there's not nearly the amount of variety in the Android lineup that you would expect given the freedom of the platform. (where's my phone with a keyboard? where's my phone with a decent battery? Where's my compact phone with a small screen?)
Absolutely don't buy one. But make a noise too, otherwise you can easily expect other good phones to be hobbled by th
How Can People Be So Stupid? (Score:2)
People will but any turd marketing people put before them.
Why not just sell people a sheet of aluminum?
It's so thin. What a clean design....
IT'S A DATA PORT (Score:4, Informative)
It's not *just* a "headphone jack"
Here's what we're removing: a universally compatible **data port** that is also a backwards compatible audio only port that will connect to devices over 100 years old in some cases.
It works really well and allows device manufacturers like Square to make one smartphone add-on that works with all smartphones.
SubjectsInCommentsAreStupidCauseTheSubjectIsTFA (Score:3)
Headphones are the easiest target.
Give me TWO usb ports (Score:2)
I'm fine with digital audio output. But I need the ability to charge and listen simultaneously, and don't want to carry a hub around.
Give me two USB ports, and you've got yourself a sale.
I'll just be happy (Score:2)
Never used it anyway. (Score:2)
I've had an iPhone 3Gs, an iPhone 4, and currently a Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. I have never used the headphone port on any of them. Good riddance!
I don't want rechargable headphones (Score:3)
for the same reasons I don't use wireless mice or keyboards.
If the battery is replaceable, then you have to keep batteries on hand for when they die. ( which is constantly and at the worst possible moment )
If not replaceable, you get to keep buying new mice and keyboards every few years when the batteries ultimately give out.
In your phone, the battery is likely going to be the first component that dies taking the whole device with it. Being non-user replaceable, this forces you to upgrade to the next phone. It's nothing more than planned obsolesence. Same thing for the wireless, battery powered headphones you'll be using soon.
I have to replace my headphones soon not because the battery died, but because I've worn out the ear cushions.
Considering I've used them for at least a DECADE, I'm pretty sure I've got my moneys worth from them.
Then again, I may just try to replace the ear cushions myself and keep on using them until they truly die.
New hotness is not always better.
Re:Well duh (Score:5, Funny)
I bet that not long after Samsung does this Apple will release a iPhone without the 3.5 mm jack.
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"With the data rates they can get with their W1 chip"
You've fallen for some marketing BS there I'm afraid. Their W1 chip is just bluetooth with custom pairing on top (like other manufacturers have done with NFC for years). They get no better data rate than any other bluetooth 4.2 chipsets on the market.
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Apple have curved edge screens? A phone model that comes with a stylus embedded?
Oh wait they do have curved screens but not the edge and not intentionally... just once you put them in your pocket for a bit.