Rumours are circulating that Samsung’s upcoming Note 10 could ditch its 3.5mm headphone jack and all physical buttons, leaving the device to rely on Bluetooth, and a USB-C port for charging and data transfer.
Tipped by Android Police, citing a source familiar with the plans, in the place of power, volume, and Bixby buttons there will be capacitive pressure-sensitive areas on the sides of the device.
These areas may feature the use of bumps or “texture along the edge” to identify their location.
This move is similar to the power button/fingerprint sensor on the Galaxy S10e.
This isn’t the first we are hearing of these rumours, in March Android Central pointed to Korean reports that the device would be going buttonless.
Galaxy Note 9
Unlike its competitors Apple, Huawei and Google, Samsung has long-retained the headphone jack, using the feature to set itself apart from the competition.
If true, it opens the possibility that the next generation of Galaxy S models may be dropping the jacks as well.
It also opens the door to the eventuality that Samsung will ditch the USB-C port altogether thanks to fast wireless charging.
Android Police suggests that Samsung may argue that by removing the headphone jack, there would be more room for a larger battery and increasing the devices’ longevity.
The report notes that it may enable the company to produce thinner, lighter phones without compromising on structural integrity, as cutouts in the aluminium frame for buttons and ports are often the weakest point in a device’s frame.
However, if the Note 10 intends to keep its stylus, it would still need an S Pen storage slot, which nullifies that argument.
The report also tips multiple versions of the Galaxy Note 10, including a larger and a smaller (by Note standards) models.
Samsung has not commented on the rumour.
The Galaxy Note 10 is expected to be revealed sometime around August 2019.
