Samsung’s Galaxy S9 looks set to retain the headphone jack
187 points by _ao789 7 years ago | 204 comments- ptero 7 years agoI am very glad S9 keeps the headphone jack. If only it would add a user replaceable battery and add-on memory card. I wonder why those three features that appear to be much loved by users are almost never present in modern phones.
- RegBarclay 7 years agoI appreciate replaceable batteries, but they are generally not compatible with water resistance, which seems to be a more favored feature.
- Brakenshire 7 years agoThey seemed to accomplish it with the G5.
- dec0dedab0de 7 years agoI actually just changed the battery on my G5 instead of buying a new phone, and it is working great again.
Not being able to change the battery is planned obsolescence, that is all it ever was.
- jdmichal 7 years agoNot with sealed ports. I never trusted the S5 water proofing because of things like the battery cover and unsealed ports. Oh, and the charging cover broke off both of my wife's S5s...
- frikk 7 years agoI recently dropped my Galaxy S5 [with a case and glass protector] into the toilet (gross). It was probably submerged for a full 2 seconds. Absolutely no side effects what-so-ever. I even gave it a full rinse in the sink afterwards.
I'm holding tight onto this phone, it's awesome.
- dec0dedab0de 7 years ago
- tomp 7 years agois water resistance a real feature? AFAIK Apple's iPhones are supposed to be "water resistant" but at the same time Apple isn't responsible for any damages, which leads me to conclude that they're not actually water resistant. Might be different with Android though...
- Piskvorrr 7 years agoNope, marketing checkbox feature only (a.k.a "big fat honking lie" IMNSHO), no actual resistance whatsoever in my experience. Samsung S5 billed as "IP67 certified", meaning water resistant up to 30min/3 feet IIRC, yet denied warranty repair from 10 sec/1 inch of water, even though I had the plug in and everything. Apparently it's only resistant against dry water or something. /s
Edit: sorry for offending the downvoter - I actually like that phone, yet there I was with a wet brick.
- Izkata 7 years agoMy prior flip-phone (not a smartphone) wasn't just water-resistant, but actually waterproof and had a removable battery. You had to use a quarter to pop open the rubber seal to replace it.
- tyfon 7 years agoI bring my IP68 Sony XZs (with minijack) into my bathtub regularly. I wouldn't recommend it though due to warranties etc, who knows what they will say.
- Piskvorrr 7 years ago
- danjoc 7 years agoNot true at all.
Fujitsu F-10D (2012)
http://www.fujitsu.com/global/about/resources/news/press-rel...
Waterproof.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZVpuizKD3k
The back pops off just like a Galaxy S3. The battery itself is not just removable, it also charges wirelessly. Micro SD and of course a headphone jack. It was also the first quad core LTE on the market.
- agumonkey 7 years agoI'm sure it's highly feasible, but not on the important-feature list for them.
ps: also, yeah, water sealed electronics is very valueable. And when you do need to replace a battery, a tech could swap it with a few tools. Not user replaceable but still replaceable at low cost.
- darkhorn 7 years agoBut with LG G5 I can carry a second or a third battery with me while I'm away from home. And I can swap the batteries within a minute.
Also, I have external battery charger for LG G5. I can use my phone freely while my other battery is being charged.
You don't face water probles every day but you face charging problems every day.
Also when my battery dies I don't need to wait someone to change my battery. After all I already chage my battery every day.
- darkhorn 7 years ago
- ptero 7 years agoI think replaceable batteries do not present big problems for water resistance. Water proofing is another story, but at least IME water resistance to a decent level is enough.
For example, I have an old GPS+HRM runner watch which is water resistant but not fully water proof. After a run I briefly wash it under running water (not submerging, but heavily splashing and using soap). I have been subjecting this watch to such abuse for years and it has not failed yet.
I think for most users water resistance would be just fine, although this may be just a personal bias.
- pcurve 7 years agoAgreed. As long as battery can be replaced by mfr at reasonable fee, I don't mind not having user serviceable battery as long as there are better trade offs. If I needed extended battery life on the go, I'd prefer 10,000 mah external source.
- Brakenshire 7 years ago
- Jonnax 7 years agoI think the average person just orders a dodgy battery of eBay.
If the phone catches on fire they're on the hook for it.
Plus phones have a two year designed for lifespan. So it isn't a priority in that sense.
And users like phones looking sleek etc. A phone reviewer is going to note that a phone is bulky if it has a replaceable battery.
- dingo_bat 7 years agoIt's almost certain to retain the memory card slot, just like all Galaxy phones.
- adrr 7 years agoGalaxy s6 doesn't have a memory card slot not sure about other galaxy phones.
- cbg0 7 years agoS7 and S8 have it.
- dragonwriter 7 years agoMemory card slot was restored in the S7/Note7 generation and retained in the subsequent one; keeping/restoring features other manufacturers are eliminating seems to be a key differentiating aspect of the Samsung flagship line.
- 7 years ago
- cbg0 7 years ago
- adrr 7 years ago
- zouhair 7 years agoWhat, no memory card? S8 has one. This is quite disappointing.
- ztoben 7 years agoI haven't seen any reports of it not having expandable storage. I don't think this is accurate.
- ReverseCold 7 years agoPeople seem to be remembering the s6, even though they fixed that issue in the S7 a and beyond.
- ReverseCold 7 years ago
- ztoben 7 years ago
- dragonwriter 7 years agoSamsung's flagship lines restored add-on memory cards with the S7 generation; it would be truly surprising if they reversed that two generations later.
- vturner 7 years agoTarget customer + planned obsolescence.
- RegBarclay 7 years ago
- hackme1234 7 years agoGlad to see Samsung bucking the trend.
I want to use the same earphones on my laptop, desktop and my mobile without fiddling with different connectors.
- nradov 7 years agoAnd I want to use those same headphones with airplane seat back entertainment systems. Those will probably never support Bluetooth.
- robin_reala 7 years agoThey’re going away in general as airlines look to save weight and slim seatbacks, and recognise that the vast majority of people have a portable entertainment device with them.
- nataz 7 years agoThat may have been a brief trend on domestic flights with older airframes, but that isn't the general aviation trend. The last thing you want is more lithium batteries charging and discharging on a long flight over the ocean.
- nightski 7 years agoI hope not. I fly Delta specifically because I can watch new release movies and other entertainment on board. It's amazing for those cross country flights. I hate flying United which has no such option.
- nataz 7 years ago
- robin_reala 7 years ago
- Angostura 7 years agoPresumably all those devices have Bluetooth?
- pasta 7 years agoIsn't this what the promise of BlueTooth is? No connector at all but connects to everything.
But no headphoneless smartphone for me. I love my (Audio-Technica) headphone.
- squid_ca 7 years agoMy experience with BlueTooth devices has been sub-optimal. They never seem to connect "cleanly" and always involve some degree of turning the device off and on again, turning BT on the computer off and on again, trying both in a different order, trying to figure out the magical combination of buttons to press on the device to get it to try to "re-pair", etc. I have had this problem with multiple devices and multiple computers.
And then, yes, if it does connect, the quality is poor.
All I want to do is use the solution that simply and easily works for me and CONTINUES to work and isn't being replaced for what seems to be a money-making opportunity.
- Scea91 7 years agoI have the same experience with many Bluetooth devices, but I have to say that my Bose QC35 headphones are almost flawless. Definitely one of the greatest things I ever bought.
They even handle gracefully playing music from my laptop and when I shut it down, they automatically reconnect to my phone without any interaction. This sounds simple but I've had many pains with similar stuff with previous devices.
- jorvi 7 years agoWhat you are describing is exactly what Apple’s W1 chip does. Pair once with any of your iDevices, and you can then switch sources with a one or two taps/clicks. Of course this requires you to be firmly in the Apple ecosystem, and the AirPods are deficient in both audio quality and noise isolation, but the ‘ease-of-use’ problem has been solved.
- madeofpalk 7 years ago> And then, yes, if it does connect, the quality is poor.
I'm doubtful that the problem is the protocol/connection method, but rather components and pricing. Bluetooth headphones are inhertentily more expensive, so there's less 'budget' for higher quality audio components, or the priorities are different.
- fahadkhan 7 years agoAudio quality on my headphones (Senheiser M2) is better via Bluetooth than wired. Not sure why.
- Scea91 7 years ago
- lawlessone 7 years agoI don't want to have to use a separate battery for my headphones or waste phone battery on powering a Bluetooth radio.
- pjc50 7 years ago> connects to everything
Except when it doesn't. Or you left it paired to the wrong thing, which results in a lot of comedy bluetooth speaker moments.
(It's only recently that the industry converged on BTLE that actually worked on both Apple and non-Apple devices)
- gambiting 7 years agoIf you connect your bluetooth headphones to your phone, tablet and laptop, you're going to have a pretty bad time, as changing connected devices with no user interface is always a massive pain. Also, general issue with bluetooth headphones - you know that tiny microscopic battery in them? Yeah, that's going to die at some point, and then you need to buy a new pair.
- a254613e 7 years ago>If you connect your bluetooth headphones to your phone, tablet and laptop, you're going to have a pretty bad time
I don't know. I think it depends a lot on the devices you have.
I have Bose QC35 headphones, and use them every day with my work and personal macbook, and my iPhone.
The connections are completely seamless. Here's how it's usually for me:
I turn them on at home, they automatically connect to my iPhone and macbook. I usually play music (spotify) on my laptop, when I leave for work I just open spotify on my phone and select "listen on this phone" and they automatically switch audio input.
When I come into work the headphones automatically connect to my work laptop and I can continue playing spotify there. All of these connections take a second or two.
In case I get a call the audio input/output automatically changes to my phone and I can take the call, and switches back when I'm done.
Plus I get about 15-20 hours of music listening time with one charge. So charging them isn't a big deal either.
- a254613e 7 years ago
- jjevanoorschot 7 years agoIt could be, but e.g. Apple has implemented their own bluetooth chip that makes stuff like pairing easier. While super convenient, it shows that the wireless headphone market will probably be somewhat divided, while headphones used to be universal.
- MereInterest 7 years agoIt works only if you use each peripheral with a single device, and never switch. For example, I have a decent over-the-ears Bluetooth headset. I like to use it with my work laptop, to listen to music, with my home computer, for VoIP, and with my phone, for making phone calls. Re-pairing takes ten minutes of restarting headphones, reconnecting on the computer/phone, and repeating until the stars align and the devices recognize each other. For a wired connection, I would unplug from one device and plug into the other.
If Bluetooth pairing could be easy, then it might be a replacement for wired connections. Until then, it is a highly situational protocol.
- squid_ca 7 years ago
- nradov 7 years ago
- fredley 7 years agoThe presence of a headphone is very, very high up the feature priority list for me. It's why for the first time ever the next smartphone I buy will not be a Nexus/Pixel device (I'm still on my 1st gen Pixel). I hope I'm with the market, and market forces prevail, consigning the jack-less models to a failed experiment.
- vidarh 7 years agoI just bought a new phone, and had made up my mind which one to buy until I realized it had no headphone jack. I ended up with a slightly different "copy" of the same Xiaomi model (the Chinese mid range phones now include copies of higher end Chinese phones - Google thinks my phone is a Xiaomi Mix 2; the phone I initially planned to get was [something else] Mix 2; I ended up with a Vernee Mix 2 - they all look the same, but have slightly varying specs)
It'll be an expensive lesson in particular for lower end brands that don't have margins like Apples to cushion them.
- lasgsf 7 years agoAs someone who has used BT headsets for 2 years now could you explain why it such a big deal? Is it the audio quality?
- cm2187 7 years agoMy own reasons (and why I stopped buying new iphone models):
1. I only use high quality headphones that have a rubber membrane, as much because of the sound quality (insulating me from the outside world) and out of respect for my co-workers and fellow passengers (other headphones are super leaky). I haven't seen the major manufacturers making a blutooth version of their in-ear models.
2. Interoperability: I currently have one headphone I can forget in my pocket and it works on all my devices: desktop computer, home laptop, ipad, iphone. I don't want to have to carry multiple models and dongles.
3. I already have to deal with too many batteries, I don't want more batteries in my life, rather less.
4. The last time I tried blutooth audio (a few years ago) the quality was terrible and there was a significant delay (was a bose noise cancelling headset). Things may have improved but in any case I have never seen wireless technologies that aren't unstable in some ways
5. Blutooth headphones is not solving any problem for me. Why should I switch? Why should I have to deal with more hassle? What's the benefit to me? Feels like a user hostile move to sell more hardware, which annoys me and pushes me instinctively to resist it.
- coryfklein 7 years agoBluetooth headphones make headphones complicated. Where previously it's literally a wire with speakers on the end, now your headphones now need to run software and they have a battery.
Previously a search for the right headphones was the intersection of few concerns:
* Price
* Sound quality
* Comfort
It was hard enough finding the right intersection of the 3 that fit me. Now I have to also balance the decision with:
* Battery life
* Ease of use (for HEADPHONES!)
* Rechargeability
* Connection quality
Headphones are such a simple idea. For some people the complexities of bluetooth headphones are worth the cost, but I don't want my cell phone to force me to accept that trade off.
- coryfklein 7 years ago
- hayanno 7 years agoThe real question is why would you remove it ? To make the phone slimer ? I don't mind having a bigger phone if it's for better battery life and the presence of an headphone jack. How do I connect my phone to my computer ? Should I have two headphone : one for my computer who doesn't have BT and one for my smartphone ? This is total non-sense and I'm still looking for someone who give me a rational answer other than company selling more BT headphone at higher price than headphone jack.
- Bahamut 7 years agoDisclaimer: I work for Apple, but for less than a year and not for a consumer product.
I always suspected it was to push headphone tech further to a long term better experience - it has been a ripe target for the trend of eliminating the pains of wires. This trend has already dominated video games controllers, and is quite present with computers as well. Headphones are a logical target long overdue for improvement - the hassle of wires, and even a physical hazard in some edge cases (I have my own tale) should in an ideal situation be something eliminated.
I think the theory that it was done so Apple could sell more bluetooth headphones is not how the company thinks - headphone accessory sales are a drop in the bucket financially. I think the decision to remove the port was made beforehand, and the company then invested in creating more bluetooth headphones as a response to that decision, not to drive it.
Of course, I could be wrong, but the emotional conclusion that I’ve seen in multiple places doesn’t seem to have a compelling explanation as to why the headphone jack was removed. The company prioritizes UX in general and acts in response to the implications of the UX, not chase money and think of the UX second.
- dragonwriter 7 years ago> The real question is why would you remove it ?
To make more money per handset sale by selling wireless headphones.
- Bahamut 7 years ago
- vidarh 7 years agoOne more thing to keep charged, and sound quality is wildly varying, and I keep breaking earplugs and have broken BT headsets in the past more than once.
I'm very flexible about audio quality but still, the sound of even mid range BT headsets is really poor - I didn't ever realize until I had used a BT headset for a while, and then broke it (...) and used a cheap pair of earplugs for a while, and it was just so much better.
If I can find BT earplugs that can match the quality, has at least a couple of weeks worth of battery so I don't run out because I've forgotten to charge on a regular basis, and that are substantially more solid, I'd love to not have the hassle of a cable.
The "problem" is that I can pick up a pair of really cheap earplugs and know they'll work reliably and give me good enough quality and just work at any time. I can't the same for BT headsets.
- ck425 7 years agoWhen you invest in top quality headphones (£200+) then buying a new equally good wireless set will set you back £300+. It also means charging two different things, which is a pain.
- sapphire_tomb 7 years agoI've got a Pixel XL 1st Gen currently, which cost me about £800. I've also got a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort II over ear bluetooth headphones which cost me £300.
With such investments, I'd expect to not keep losing the connection between the phone and the headphones - but I do. They drop out frequently on my way to work, where my trusty Shure SE315s never do.
Also, Google seem to have done something terrible to their bluetooth stack since the upgrade to Oreo. My phone frequently soft resets whilst hooked up to Bluetooth (either my headphones, or my car - doesn't matter which). Again, not a problem when using the headphone jack.
- verbify 7 years agoTo be fair, the Pixel 1st Gen has a headphone jack. And the Pixel 2 has bluetooth 5.0 (compared to bluetooth 4.2 for the Pixel 1st Gen), which has significantly better range, reliability, speed, message capacity and data throughput. Google only dropped the jack for devices with bluetooth 5.0.
It's a weak defence, because multiple people had issues with bluetooth on the Pixel 2.
- verbify 7 years ago
- cryptoz 7 years agoI'm not OP but I have a Pixel 2 with no headphone jack and it ruins me daily. I have the adapter yes, but it is lost 100% of the time. And when I want to use it I cannot find it. I find myself literally standing in the cold with my ears freezing off and headphones in with no music. Because I left the house without the 1mm thick nearly invisible adapter.
Not once in two months have I remembered it when I go out. I hate hate hate hate hate how much this phone cost and how vastly more inconvenient is compared to my last phone. I cannot wait for the return of the headphone jack on phones if true!
Edit: how long does it take to switch your Bluetooth headphones from a computer to a phone? If it is more than 1 second, it's a stupid waste of time as well. I'm not putting up with that decline in usability especially if am expected to spend money on it and throw into the landfill my perfectly good headphones. No thanks.
- mscrivo 7 years agoWhy not just keep it connected to your headphones/earbuds wire all the time? Clunky, I admit, but at least you won't lose it.
- ryanwaggoner 7 years agoI’m curious why you can’t:
1. Keep the adapter on the headphones cord
2. Get headphones for USB-C (or whatever the Pixel uses)
3. Get Bluetooth headphones
I mean, I understand that you feel like you shouldn’t have to do those things, and you won’t buy one of these again, but it sounds like this is ruining your life. Why not just fix the problem?
- zeveb 7 years agoI really hope that someone from a phone manufacturer reads this: it's a textbook example of what you don't want your users to experience.
> I hate hate hate hate hate how much this phone cost and how vastly more inconvenient is compared to my last phone.
This, right here, says it all.
- umanwizard 7 years agoThe person you’re replying to mentioned Bluetooth.
- mscrivo 7 years ago
- untog 7 years agoReally the calculation is quite simple: is the headphone cord a problem for you? If it isn't there is literally no reason to have to deal with the charging, pairing and quality issues that come along with bluetooth headsets.
- rimliu 7 years agoI was not aware how freeing it was not to have cord connected to your phone till I got Beats X.
- rimliu 7 years ago
- letmein 7 years agonot having to worry about BT charged headphones
- coldtea 7 years agoAnd having to worry about cables.
- coldtea 7 years ago
- cm2187 7 years ago
- ebbv 7 years agoApple’s sales haven’t really been affected. From personal experience I don’t miss it on my iPhone. I’ve used the adapter maybe a dozen times in the year I have had the phone.
- lorenzhs 7 years agoI don't know why this is so heavily downvoted, it totally lines up with my experience. I got an iPhone 7 when it was released, and I even bought a second audio adapter thinking I'd need it. I've used them maybe 5-10 times in ~16 months?
I mean, at home I've got Chromecast Audio or Bluetooth speakers. At work or my desk at home I don't listen from my phone. And on the go I really hate cables, I always fear that I'm going to damage the port when walking with the phone in a pocket and positioning the cable is awkward with a warm jacket in winter.
Is my use case really so atypical?
- cm2187 7 years agoThat being said I see lots of iphone users either never listening to music on their iphone or using the default white headphones that come along the phone, which are of a terrible quality and super-leaky. These people do not care about music quality, so it is unsurprising they wouldn't be bothered by this change.
- ebbv 7 years agoMan the DAC in the phones was never that good anyway, so complaining about the sound quality of the earbuds is silly. Sure they don't sound as good as better headphones, but the iPhone comes with an adapter so you can still use whatever headphones you want if you want to do that.
If you really care about sound quality you weren't using the headphone jack on a phone (and its not so great DAC) anyway.
- 7 years ago
- muninn_ 7 years agoFor the vast majority of people the supplied Apple ear phones are just fine and I don't see that as an issue. You don't have to be obsessed with music quality to enjoy reasonably sounding music. I don't not watch movies if I can't see them in theater.
- ebbv 7 years ago
- lorenzhs 7 years ago
- cat199 7 years ago(Consumer side) Market forces have nothing to do with it -
Vendor side 'content partnership' forces yes..
this is DRM and 'closing the analog hole' pure and simple..
- fredley 7 years agoIs anyone, anywhere actually 'pirating' music through the 'analogue hole' in a smartphone? Seriously?
- fredley 7 years ago
- hackme1234 7 years agoSadly the jack-less models are gaining steam.
- vidarh 7 years ago
- dep_b 7 years agoThe great thing about a headphone port is that if you stick something in it you won't ever hear anything over the speaker. A bluetooth headset might not be connected (anymore) and you won't notice until it starts blaring. I use it a lot when debugging applications that have sound and drive me nuts if I have to listen to the sound all day long. Apart from that I don't really miss it on newer phones but my SE remains my go-to testing phone just because things like that (also you need to dogfood the UX on smaller phones in my opinion).
Aside I have een looking into nice headphone amps for iPhones and that market seems really small. It seems that audiophiles would skip the built in DAC yes or yes if audio quality would really matter?
- taoistextremist 7 years ago>The great thing about a headphone port is that if you stick something in it you won't ever hear anything over the speaker.
This still kind of depends on good software. On the Galaxy S5 (which I've managed to get along with still), the built-in voicemail app will play over the speakers despite having headphones in. Led to some embarrassing moments the few times I've listened to voicemail in public.
- tzs 7 years ago> The great thing about a headphone port is that if you stick something in it you won't ever hear anything over the speaker.
iMac does that, and I find it very annoying. I normally use headphones, but occasionally want to use the speakers. To do that I have to reach behind the iMac and unplug the headphones. This is annoying because there are things in the way on my desk.
I cannot understand why Apple did this. They got it right on my older Mac Pro: you could select in the Sound settings between the headphone jack and line out (which was were you generally would connect your speakers).
Am I missing something here? Making an analog audio signal electronically switchable between two paths is not something that requires an EE genius to design.
If for some reason they cannot do that...how about putting the headphone jack in front instead of on the back? Put it in the middle of the black Apple symbol on the front if you are worried it will throw off the aesthetics. It would be hard to see there.
- jdc0589 7 years ago> Aside I have een looking into nice headphone amps for iPhones and that market seems really small. It seems that audiophiles would skip the built in DAC yes or yes if audio quality would really matter?
The market it there, but like you said it is very boutique and specific. Step 1: be an audiophile, step 2: have good portable headphones where a good dac/amp will actually make a difference, step 3: user your phone as an audio source enough to care, step 4: be willing to spend a bunch of money on it.
I fall in to the audiophile category, have very nice custom IEMs (64 Audio, being upgraded + remolded from v6-s to a6 right now actually), and would be willing to spend money. However, I almost NEVER use my phone as an audio source, so I just don't care enough to invest in a portable dac/amp setup.
Hence the limited availability.
- bsder 7 years ago> Aside I have een looking into nice headphone amps for iPhones and that market seems really small. It seems that audiophiles would skip the built in DAC yes or yes if audio quality would really matter?
https://www.jdslabs.com/products/35/objective2-headphone-amp...
This is a design created by NwAvGuy (who has since gone AWOL) because all the headphone amp manufacturers pissed him off with all the hooey.
It's got a Creative Commons license and the design is actually public.
- dep_b 7 years agoThat looks great and it’s relatively affordable. I’ll dig into it.
- dep_b 7 years ago
- taoistextremist 7 years ago
- jcadam 7 years agoMy iPhone SE died and I just bought an Xperia X Compact. Has a headphone jack :)
My main criteria for a phone are: small, has a headphone jack, and isn't a low-end POS. That leaves an extremely limited set of options.
I'm dismayed that there isn't much choice if you're looking for a phone that can be comfortably operated with one hand and fits easily in a pocket. Make an S9 mini, Samsung.
- lovamova 7 years agoI got the XZ1 Compact. I love it. It's faster and smaller than iPhone X and doesn't overheat. USB-C with QuickCharge 3.0 takes 1h to get to 85% charge then battery last 2 days and 8h of screen usage.
It has backlight bleeding around the ambient light sensor. I can't replace it, but I can live with it.
GMSArena reported Sony is working on a Compact with 5-inch screen and 18:9 aspect ratio. This will be the perfect phone to own.
- untog 7 years agoI'm the same. I had an Xperia Z5 Compact but it was terrible - would frequently overheat and slow the phone to a crawl. Sony insisted there was nothing wrong with it.
Samsung actually does have a not bad small device - the A3: https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_a3-6762.php. Problem is that it doesn't work with the US LTE bands I need it to. Right now I'm waiting to see what the iPhone SE 2 looks like...
- oneeyedpigeon 7 years agoIs there a reason you didn't stick with the SE? Appears to fulfil all your criteria, but I guess you might have experienced some problems...
- jcadam 7 years agoTouchscreen went wonky after about a year. Plus, all of the iOS 11 issues were infuriating. Apple doesn't do regression testing, apparently.
- jcadam 7 years ago
- lovamova 7 years ago
- rando444 7 years agoWhen I went from S7 to S8, I really thought Samsung did an amazing job learning from their mistakes and creating an excellent phone. Everything except the Bixby button. A feature I will never use and is difficult for users to work around without sufficient knowledge and investment of time.
Sad to see after all of the backlash them not learning from this particular mistake and doubling down on it instead.
- Gustomaximus 7 years agoThis and the volume warning. I think by now on my 3rd Samsung I've got the message that if I turn the volume up past 2/3's I could damage my hearing. Worse is when.your driving and turn the volume up only to have a message.on screen you need to hit the ok button for.
- elboru 7 years agoOh man I really hate phones treating me like a child, I want to control my volume with my audio system, let me do it!
I know I only have 5% of battery, I know my phone will turn off, but I want to have a bright screen for the last couple of minutes don't dim it! Also I really need to take a picture with my freaking flashlight on, let me do it!
And finally I don't get what functionality does it serve to turn my screen on when it starts charging, I already have a red led indicating it is charging, don't make me turn off my screen specially when I'm wireless charging!!
- elboru 7 years ago
- Tade0 7 years agoAh, the infamous Bixby button. I also activate this feature only by accident.
I wonder how is the usage data on it. Surely the must have had some justification for keeping it?
- josu 7 years agoIt reminds me of the damn internet button on the Motorola V3. Thankfully this time I was able to repurpose the Bixby button to turn on the flashlight.
- josu 7 years ago
- jordache 7 years agowhat mistakes with the S7?
- dschn_dstryr 7 years agoThis kills the S9 for me. I was hoping that they ditch the bixby button. I would rather deal with bluetooth headphones than having a useless button.
- Gustomaximus 7 years ago
- anonymfus 7 years agoConsidering that one of the main complaints about devices without headphone jacks is a problem with using audio connection simultaneously with charging or data, why phones with two USB-C connectors almost don't exist?
- talktime 7 years agoThat's good news - the headphone jack is essential to me, but the reason that my next phone won't be a Samsung is because Samsung disables Android's native multiple user profile feature.
- paulie_a 7 years agoAnd they insist on adding their garbage replacement apps instead of just using the stock Android ones. I never understood why mfgs insist on doing that. Why make a worse app that can't be uninstalled?
- camgunz 7 years agoI just put all that stuff into a drawer in the launcher called 'zzzzzzzzz'. I never see it and never think about it.
- ztoben 7 years agoThere is a rootless app that you can install that lets you uninstall the bloatware samsung apps. Can't remember the name of it but it isn't hard to find.
- ztoben 7 years ago
- camgunz 7 years ago
- qplex 7 years agoIt's sad that Samsung cripples their good hardware with crap software.
Thankfully many of their phones can run aftermarket operating systems.
- junkscience2017 7 years ago"Stock" Android and iOS aren't much better these days...both come with non-essential apps you cannot uninstall.
- junkscience2017 7 years ago
- paulie_a 7 years ago
- arvinsim 7 years agoConsidering the prices of bluetooth headsets, bluetooth ubiquity for audio will still remain a niche for the rest of the world.
- Numberwang 7 years agoI don't really understand this though. I bought a nice Philips Bluetooth headset for $60. I would not say that is prohibitively expensive. Also, you can always connect the head-phone jack to the phone via the converter cable.
- ck425 7 years agoThose are not good headphone. £100+ are decent if wired, £200+ for good. Add another ~£150 for equivalent quality if bluetooth.
Also adaptors frequently limit the power available from devices, greatly reducing quality on good headphones.
- Numberwang 7 years agoI don't think you can generalize 'good' like that. I only listen to podcasts and I'm very happy with these.
My datapoint of 'good' says these are 'good'
- rorykoehler 7 years agoSennheiser hd25 are £130...You'd be hard pressed to find better cans for any price.
- Numberwang 7 years ago
- camgunz 7 years agoI can buy replacement earbuds at my corner bodega for $1.50. Yeah they're awful but they work, they have no problems pairing, they require no batteries, they're 100% compatible, and so on. 40x is a big difference.
- ck425 7 years ago
- Numberwang 7 years ago
- sapphire_tomb 7 years agoIs anyone else as depressed as me that this is actual news?
- _ao789 7 years agoYou hit the nail on the head!
- _ao789 7 years ago
- pasbesoin 7 years agoWell, having had my Nexus 5x die and then the Motorolla I (temporarily...) replaced it with take 5 months to get the Bluetooth vulnerability patch (and still waiting on the KRACK patch), I would have been screwed with respect to the Motorola if it didn't have a headphone jack.
I'm to the point of thinking/feeling that any new "feature" they tout, I don't actually want. A lot of which get connected in the marketing-speak with "thin" and "water-resistant".
Whatever's driving this, it seems pretty clear now it's not consumer demand. (And with our "thin" phones, the first thing many of us have to do is slap a case on them, anyway. And recently all the people with even bulkier and heavier battery cases...)
- DanCarvajal 7 years agoMeh, I was skeptical of losing the headphone jack but my $18 Anker wireless earbuds have been fantastic so now I'm a believer in the wireless audio future.
- pymai 7 years agoI've been using Bluetooth in my car to stream music for a long time now and ive had bluetooth earbuds for the last year so im believer, i just don't believe in taking away features that dont need to be taken away.
there are still plenty of times where a headphone jack can be useful. when you run out of charge, if youre at someone elses house but then dont have any bluetooth receiver.
maybe in the future when bt headphone batteries last more than a day i might be able to get behind the idea a bit more
- zach43 7 years agoYep, I also ordered a $20 set of Mpow bluetooth headphones on Amazon ~3 years back, and they have been just great. While the sound quality is not that good, it is good enough for my daily gym and running sessions. Ive also used them in the rain without any problems
It’s a little surprising that a lot of people seem to think that decent Bluetooth headphones must be fairly expensive
- pymai 7 years ago
- chisleu 7 years agoI've not used a wired headset since I stopped gaming several years ago. Sony's bluetooth headphones have very good noise cancellation and very good sound quality. It's not quite as my old JVC HA-RX700 wired headphones.
I understand how audiophiles might really enjoy that quality gap, but beyond that niche market, I don't get it.
My bluetooth headphones even have wires to plug into 3.6mm / airplane connectors as well.
It seems that most people don't care about the headphone jack given companies have decided to ditch them en-mass. Certainly online forums give a voice to those that still want it, but I've not read any comments that seem to be valid for ME.
Problems I've seen described: * connecting to airplanes (I have connectors on my bluetooth headphones) * not wanting to use multiple dongles (bluetooth has no dongles) * pairing sucks (modern bluetooth versions don't have the pairing issues of old. I don't have to repair to get it to connect. I just hold the button and tell it to connect to the already-paired device and it works every time.) * "Considering the prices of bluetooth headsets, bluetooth ubiquity for audio will still remain a niche for the rest of the world." - bluetooth is CHEAP. high quality bluetooth are definitely more expensive than high quality wired.
Are there any arguments that I've not seen?
- shados 7 years agoPairing still sucks compared to plugging wired headsets. Especially with a bluetooth device you're not familiar with. "Where the f* is the button" is something I find myself saying way too often.
Being able to get a pair of 5 bucks headphones that don't use batteries is just convenient. Being able to get really fancy noise cancelling headphones for half the price is convenient. Being able to use the same headphones across all my devices (my new desktop computer has bluetooth, my old one didn't. When I was looking at motherboards, a lot of them didn't) is convenient. Being able to not have to worry about battery life is VERY convenient. Not having to worry about my phone's battery life is also convenient (though newer bluetooth uses very little, its still non-zero).
Interference is still an issue. Where I live there's so many 2.4ghz devices around, they barely work (ironically in the middle of manhattan I have less issues, mind you)
- zimpenfish 7 years ago> Pairing still sucks compared to plugging wired headsets. Especially with a bluetooth device you're not familiar with.
Much as I love the TT-BA08 dongle, having double-click power be both "initiate pairing" and "initiate phone call" depending on (largely) invisible context is a bloody pain in the arse.
- zimpenfish 7 years ago
- nixpulvis 7 years agoThe biggest issue I have is wireless headphones "all" suffer from cutouts and other connection issues.
The one thing I don't want is a song to cut in and out, and that's exactly what wireless headphone provide.
- chisleu 7 years agoNever experienced this. Google changed Bluetooth Audio to be realtime scheduled, but I never experienced this before that. I can go into other floors of the building and my Song headset still works.
- chisleu 7 years ago
- ianseyer 7 years agoFor me, my biggest complaint is about having to charge yet another device.
Especially now that phones have adopted USB-C, I have to have both a C and micro charger.
- chisleu 7 years agoI can certainly appreciate this. I also have USB micro charger for my headphones, but I only charge once a week or so.
- chisleu 7 years ago
- kiddico 7 years agoI don't want to have to keep another device charged. Wired headphones will always work no matter how forgetful I was the night before.
- davrosthedalek 7 years agoHow long does the battery in your headset last? I fly often for 7h+, and with travel to/from airport, waiting etc, it can be more than 12.
- chisleu 7 years agoMine lasts about a week. I usually only use it for a few hours at a time, but it's never been a problem before. It charges way faster than it discharges.
- zimpenfish 7 years agoI'm using the TT-BA08 dongle and it gets about 20h of battery life - substantially more than any Bluetooth headphones I've seen (and Etymotic don't make any AFAIK.)
- chisleu 7 years ago
- 13of40 7 years ago> bluetooth is CHEAP
I think you're overstating this. With a normal headphone jack, if I find myself heading out for a hike or vacation or whatever and discover that I left my earbuds at home, I can pick up a tolerable pair at any drugstore for $10. For the time being at least, I'd have to go to a specialty electronics shop (probably in that city an hour back) and pay $30 to get a comparable bluetooth set.
- chisleu 7 years agoOh certainly. I was referring to initial purchases of reasonable quality headphones vs bluetooth headphones. It's not as big of a gap as it used to be.
- chisleu 7 years ago
- Toboe 7 years agoFM Radio using the headphone cable as antenna. (Caveat: Obviously depends on the quality of the stations where you live)
Edit: Less delay.
- chisleu 7 years ago+1!
I don't use FM anymore as I use spotify premium. I absolutely HATE advertisements in all it's forms however I totally appreciate the utility of FM receivers for emergencies.
- chisleu 7 years ago
- pantalaimon 7 years agoI already have some good headphones, why should I buy a pair of new ones when the sound would not be any better?
- chisleu 7 years agoI guess the people with 8 tracks complained when cassette tapes took over too. Then CDs, then MP3, then streaming.
You don't have to buy new headphones, but you don't get to buy a new cellphone either.
- chisleu 7 years ago
- cat199 7 years ago> It seems that most people don't care about the headphone jack given companies have decided to ditch them en-mass.
Sell more expensive hardware, close the analog hole for DRM content. Consumers are just the willing sheep in this equation who are willing to be distracted by loss of wires and shiny..
- chisleu 7 years agoEhhhh I don't think many people are using cell phones to circumvent DRM... It's far easier to use a PC.
- chisleu 7 years ago
- netcraft 7 years agoI dont want to have to keep another device charged when a wired headset works just fine for me.
- chisleu 7 years agoThat's fine, but then you have to select from a dwindling number of phones.
- chisleu 7 years ago
- shados 7 years ago
- kentosi 7 years agoAside from the headphone jack, many earlier leaks/rumours indicated an on-screen fingerprint scanner. It's unfortunate that this technology still isn't ready for phone manufacturers to use.
Anyone know of what the status is on this?
- eganist 7 years agoIt's ready for prod. https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/1/9/16867536/vi...
Samsung might be waiting for a cost dip, OR current Samsung leaks mask a decision to use it.
- cbg0 7 years agoWhile this is a cool concept, it will be interesting to see how well it holds up in terms of security, as the one under the screen will be an optical fingerprint reader as opposed to the capacitive ones we have now, which is in theory be much harder to fool than the optical one.
- eganist 7 years ago
- dandare 7 years agoI will vote with my wallet for keeping the jack.
- sporkland 7 years agoI was super nervous about buying the pixel 2 xl with no jack as I used to use earbuds that connect to the jack. I switched to some Bluetooth headphones and it has totally improved my quality of life not needing to manage that wire. I use headphones way more now that I ever did.
- fulafel 7 years agoNew Sony Xperias have these too.
- api 7 years agoLooks like I'm sticking with Samsung for the foreseeable future.
- nixpulvis 7 years agoMaybe it's finally time to switch.
- cletus 7 years agoApparently Samsung lacks courage.
- dingo_bat 7 years agoThe hype is real! I can't wait to see what new stuff they bring to the table. Probably time to upgrade my S7e.
- nkkollaw 7 years agoJesus, this is a feature now.
I am voting with my money and saved about 1,000 last year from now buying anything Apple anymore.
I think tech companies need to focus on features that are only good for marketing less, and more on what consumers want.
- princess-aslaug 7 years agoNot sure how this is news worthy. This is a minor feature of one of the many Android devices out there.
- neolefty 7 years agoFlagship devices have been losing headphone jacks. iPhone & Pixel stand out, but here's a longer list:
https://smartphones.gadgethacks.com/news/always-updated-list...
- oneeyedpigeon 7 years agoI wish Apple/Google would just make two versions of their next phone: one with the headphone jack, that's half a millimetre thicker, for a dollar or two more; and a version without. I can understand why they would drop it if there were no market for it, I just can't accept that there's no market for it.
- tazjin 7 years agoI think there is a market for it, but a large number of consumers feel "held hostage" by technology. They're just being told that they can't have this feature anymore, and then all the major companies remove it simultaneously (via the standard mechanism of copying Apple, of course).
Even if you wanted to "vote with your wallet", you couldn't.
There are no more phones being sold at reasonable sizes (besides the iPhone SE, which will probably go away soon).
None of the current big-name flagships (this S9 potentially being the exception) have headphone jacks.
If my current phone (an SE) breaks I'm not sure I'll buy another smartphone.
- tazjin 7 years ago
- oneeyedpigeon 7 years ago
- neolefty 7 years ago
- LeonM 7 years agoWhy does everyone (including here on HN) focus on the darn headphone jack, if the article/tweet shows an exciting feature that may finally make the computer-in-your-pocket dream a reality... I am WAY more exited about that 'DeX pad' than the darn headphone connector!
- lloeki 7 years ago> Why does everyone (including here on HN) focus on the darn headphone jack
Because it's been nearly universal for even longer than computers have existed, serves the purpose perfectly, and the alternative is hard pressed to be compelling in any way, whether on sound quality, convenience, device size, cost, robustness, complexity, usability, or versatility (it's really an analog port that turns out to be mostly used for audio signals). Previous removals (magnetic or optical disk drives, vga, serial, or ethernet ports) were dealt with when they were obsoleted by outperforming, or at the very least vastly more convenient alternatives.
> finally make the computer-in-your-pocket dream a reality
The dock is the easy part, the hard part is the OS/UI and making the thing super convenient.
- cat199 7 years ago> compelling in any way, whether on sound quality, convenience, device size, cost, robustness, complexity, usability, or versatility
compelling for DRM rights holders, and all the manufacturers are trying to setup their walled garden 'content stores' and need to make rights agreements with content producers..
- cat199 7 years ago
- rainbowmverse 7 years agoIt looks like an ordinary docking station. Can't people care about a docking station and headphones?
- dschn_dstryr 7 years agoI prefer the Huawei approach. There you just need a usb-c to dp or hdmi cable and you can choose between mirroring the phone screen or desktop mode. you can also use the phone as touchpad in desktop mode and connect a bluetooth keyboard.
- lloeki 7 years ago