Since Apple’s “courageous” decision to take out the headphone jack, other companies are slowly starting to follow suit.
Apple has boldly taken the first step into doing away with an aging technology and received a good deal of criticism for it. But now word is out that Samsung may also be following suit in letting go of the trusty 3.5mm headphone jack.
One of the biggest gripes with Apple’s decision to do away with the headphone jack was the lack of an equal or better alternative. Many have made it clear that they were not impressed with the Air Buds, price- and quality-wise. However, BGR reports that USB Implementers Forum has just published the Audio Device Class 3.0 specification, which phone manufacturers like Samsung could integrate into their future devices.
The USB Audio Device Class 3.0 is designed to allow USB Audio through the USB Type-C. This means that since the specification is now official, laptops, smartphones and tablets can be omitted to make way for slimmer devices. The lack of a headphone jack also helps manufacturers with their waterproofing efforts.
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Apart from form factor, Audio via USB-C will also significantly boost digital audio quality while consuming less power. Voice recognition features will also be made available, reports Engadget.
Apple was not the only brand to leave out the headphone jack from their latest device. Motorola and LeEco have also released smartphones without headphone jacks.
It will not be an easy transition as the 3.5mm headphone jack has served many, audiophile or otherwise, for a very long time and the market is full of headphones dedicated to the old format.
Overtime audio companies will start to adapt to the new port standard. In the meantime, users will need to turn to dongles in order to charge their devices while listening to music at the same time. Alfred Bayle