【Deborah Driggs Archives】

Apple killing the headphone jack was one of the biggest tech stories of 2016 — and Deborah Driggs Archivesit appears Samsung is looking to hop onto the trend, too.

Samsung-centric blog SamMobile reports it can "exclusively confirm" the upcoming Galaxy S8 will also ditch the classic 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of a sleeker, thinner design. The report doesn't name its sources, so it's fair to take the news with a healthy grain of salt.

For the musically minded, the blog claims the device will possibly compensate by integrating new stereo speakers made with tech from recently acquired Harman, since removing the only way to enjoy audio on the down low and replacing it with extra-loud speakers is a totally logical trade.

Separately, SamMobile says it's confirmed the Galaxy S8 will feature a USB Type-C port. Technically the now-discontinued Galaxy Note7 was the first Samsung phone with USB-C, so it makes sense the S8 would continue the trend.

What doesn't quiteadd up is why the headphone jack is on the chopping block. At this point, it's a major differentiator between the Galaxy line and the iPhone, and by forcing users to get their audio via the USB port, Samsung won't get the same boost of S8 users ponying up for its own line of headphone adapters like Apple gets with its lighting port.

Like every phone manufacturer, Samsung is looking to harvest every cubic millimeter it can within a smartphone chassis in order to improve its technology. Perhaps it's simply weighing new and improved features against the headphone jack and decided the latter has to go. Or maybe it has a newfound love of dongles.

We'll see if these are just rumors or if the confirmation was real in February 2017 when the Galaxy S8 debuts at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona. Until then, hold onto your corded headphones tight — and consider investing in some wireless earbuds.