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Samsung following iPhone 7 in ditching headphone socket, aims to beat iPhone 8 to virtual Home button

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It seems that the iPhone 7 won’t be the only flagship smartphone to ditch the 3.5mm headphone socket: SamMobile is reporting ‘confirmation’ of an earlier rumor that Samsung’s Galaxy S8 – set to be unveiled in February – will follow Apple’s lead.

The move is said to be in an effort to make the device thinner while allowing for a larger battery. The report says that Samsung will use a USB-C port for charging and data transfers, and it’s likely this will also be available to those who want to continue using wired headphones.

The S8 is also said to be adopting a feature long-rumored for next year’s iPhone: replacing the physical Home button with a virtual one embedded into the display.

Apple’s ‘courageous’ decision to ditch the headphone socket of course generated a great deal of controversy. By the time Samsung does the same, it’s likely that a lot of the fuss will have died down as increasing numbers of consumers switch to wireless headphones.

Samsung’s S8 will be an especially important launch for the company following its disastrous recall and abandonment of the Note 7.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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