Apple drew widespread criticism when it ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, even though the iPhone maker hailed it as a “courageous” move. If a new report is to be believed, Apple’s biggest rival Samsung is also planning to get rid of the headphone jack with its Galaxy S8. Samsung’s upcoming flagship phone is said to have a single USB Type-C port for charging and headphone use.
Galaxy S8 to have fingerprint sensor embedded in the display
SamMobile reports that the Galaxy S8 will lack an analog headphone jack, but will feature embedded fingerprint sensor. The S8 may force users to go wireless or rely on an adapter if they want to use their own headphones. Removing the headphone jack would allow Samsung to free up some space that could help make the smartphone slimmer or pack a bigger battery.
Citing supply chain sources, SamMobile added that the Korean electronics giant was planning to ditch the physical home button and embed the fingerprint sensor in the display itself. Apple is reportedly planning to take a similar approach with the iPhone 8. If both companies implement this technology, Samsung will have a six-month lead over its arch-rival.
No 4K display
Over the past few months, there have been a lot of rumors that the Galaxy S8 might sport a 4K Super AMOLED display. SamMobile reports that the device will retain the 2K display resolution, but it will be made using a “new material.” The Galaxy S8 Super AMOLED display it said to have the standard RGB arrangement that consumes less power than the Diamond PenTile pixel layout. The RGB array will reportedly offer significant improvements in virtual reality environments.
The Galaxy S8 is rumored to come in two different screen sizes: 5.7-inch and 6.2-inch. The bigger variant is aimed at Galaxy Note 7 users. Samsung is expected to unveil its next-gen flagship at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February next year. However, there have been a few reports claiming that the S8 release could be pushed back to April as Samsung is yet to find out the cause of Galaxy Note 7 explosions.
Galaxy S8 to feature audio speakers
Recent rumors indicate that the Galaxy S8 could feature stereo speakers from Harman, which Samsung acquired last month for $8 billion. The handset is also expected to come with Samsung’s own AI assistant. The Korean company has acquired Viv Labs, which was founded by folks who developed Siri and sold it to Apple in 2010. According to Samsung’s trademark filings in South Korea, the AI assistant could be named Bixby.
The Galaxy S8 is said to be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 or Exynos 8895 processor depending on the region. The device is said to sport a 4200mAh battery, 6GB RAM, an iris scanner, fingerprint sensor, and fast-charging technology.
