Samsung’s new smartphone doesn’t have a headphone jack

Remember when Samsung made fun of Apple for not including a headphone jack on its flagship phones? Those jokes will pack a little less punch now that Samsung has launched the Galaxy A8s, a phone with the new Infinity-O display, triple rear camera and zero headphone jacks. 

The fact that the phone doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio connector, noticed by MacRumors, is clearly visible in the promotional photos for the device, where it’s shown from all angles. The only connector this phone has is the USB-C jack on the bottom. 

Granted, the Galaxy A8s is a mid-ranger, and Samsung has quite a big lineup of devices in this price range. The lack of headphone jack on this device does not necessarily mean the company will do the same with all of its upcoming phones.  

Still, the fact that a prominent Samsung phone comes without a 3.5mm audio connector is notable for the sheer fact that the company openly mocked Apple’s decision to remove the headphone jack from the iPhone for years. Samsung even has an ad that makes fun of dongles. 

Unfortunately, the A8s probably is the harbinger of things to come. A report in October claimed that Samsung will drop the headphone jack from its flagship sometime next year (likely after it launches the S10 in February). And, generally, smartphone makers have succumbed to the trend. Huawei’s latest flagship, the Mate 20 Pro, doesn’t have a headphone jack, and rivals like Xiaomi and OnePlus have followed suit. 

Why are we even talking about this connect, you might ask? Well, because it’s still useful, simple, practical and because most people still have at least one pair of wired headphones at home. Wireless may be the future, but this is one of those instances we’d prefer if it weren’t showed down our throats.