Samsung is likely to skip the standard 3.5-mm headphone jack and even physical keys for functions like volume and power on its upcoming Galaxy Note 10.
“The Note 10 will have no 3.5mm connector, and exterior buttons (power, volume, Bixby) will be replaced by capacitive or pressure-sensitive areas, likely highlighted by some kind of raised ‘bump’ and/or texture along the edge (i.e. a faux button),” the Android Authority reported late on Thursday.
Removing the headphone jack would almost certainly result in criticism from some of those fans who have long held that Samsung’s steadfast adherence to the 3.5-mm jack is one of their big reasons for sticking with the smartphone player.
“But in 2019, Samsung virtually stands alone in the high-end phone space in this regard. Google, OnePlus, Huawei and Apple have all abandoned the headphone jack on their premium devices. Even many budget phone-makers have started to purge it,” the report added.
Moreover, removing the headphone jack might help Samsung reduce the design complexity of the phone, and improve ingress protection on the phone. The report also mentions that removing the buttons would lead to an indirect benefit as well — the button cutouts in a smartphone’s frame are usually structurally the weakest points in a phone’s body, and removing them might help Samsung build a thinner phone without compromising on structural integrity.
