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Will the Galaxy S21 (S30) mark the return of an important feature on flagship phones?

By Anam Hamid

Updated: Sep 18, 2020, 3:38 AM

22comments

Will the Galaxy S21 (S30) mark the return of an important feature on flagship phones?

Samsung ate its words when it removed ads making fun of Apple's iPhone for not having a headphone jack after the introduction of the Galaxy Note 10 duo. These were the first flagship Galaxy phones to not have a 3.5mm audio port. Samsung's reasoning was that removing the headphone jack will free up space to increase battery capacity. The chaebol is now apparently planning to bring back the feature.

Galaxy S21 (S30) may come with an audio port

According to a tipster, we can see this happen as early as next year. If Samsung is indeed planning to do this, next year's Galaxy S21 (S30) may boast an audio port. In recent times, Samsung has witnessed its flagship sales plummet, and although initial reports imply that the recently launched Galaxy Note 20 is doing well, the company is supposedly cautious about placing component orders.

Headphone Jack

Samsung -considering- bringing it back, as a risky experiment "to see what happens"
for at least 1 year
ETA: 2021+
some points debated:

S = the media will go wild, free publicity
Note = ↑↑ + good lineup for experiments, but less revenue

im hearing
— Mauri QHD (@MauriQHD) August 5, 2020

The leaker says the reintroduction of the headphone jack will be more of a marketing stunt to generate hype for the next S series flagship. With the Xperia 1 II, Sony also brought back the headphone jack, which is missing on its 2018 and 2019 flagships. The company now thinks the port is indispensable for media consumption.

Google is another company that could bring the headset jack with the Pixel 5.

At the same time, these manufactures also want a slice of the lucrative wireless earbuds market which is currently dominated by Apple. Samsung's recent Galaxy Buds Live, for example, are its first true wireless earbuds to offer active noise cancellation (ANC), which makes them a direct AirPods Pro competitor.

Analysts believe that the new buds can help the South Korean giant increase its market share from 6.9 percent to 10 percent. They undercut the AirPods Pro on price and also offer longer battery life.

If the audio port makes a comeback, it can surely interfere with the demand for the company's earbuds, and thus, it's best to take this report with a pinch of salt for now.

Per reports, the Galaxy S21 could also be a test bed for other strategies such as using different Exynos chips for different models and not including a charger in the box.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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Will the Galaxy S21 (S30) mark the return of an important feature on flagship phones?

Galaxy S21 (S30) may come with an audio port

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