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Samsung's Galaxy S8 Will Feature a Headphone Jack, Desktop Dock, 'Infinity Display' and More, Says In-Depth Report (theguardian.com)
The Guardian has published a considerable amount of information on Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S8 smartphone. The phone will reportedly launch in March with a headphone jack and a desktop dock, among other features. From the report: Samsung's Galaxy S8 will come in two sizes, have an almost bezel-less, edge-to-edge "infinity" display and an iris scanner, the Guardian has learned. The two variants will have screens in the 5in to 6in region, with the devices having the same or smaller proportions of previous versions of Samsung's flagship smartphone but with larger displays, according to several well placed sources talking to the Guardian. The S7 was available with either a 5.1in and 5.5in screen. The two smartphones are codenamed Dream and Dream 2, representing the smaller and larger Galaxy S8 respectively, according to two sources. Both versions will have screens that curve down at the left and right sides of the device similar to the Galaxy S7 Edge, two sources have said. The so-called "infinity display" will cover the majority of the front of the device, with very little body on the top and bottom of the screen not dedicated to the display. Two sources said there wasn't even room to put a logo or brand name on the front of the device. Samsung has moved the fingerprint scanner to the back of the device, multiple sources said. The Galaxy S8 will have a traditional 3.5mm headphone socket, according to several sources. Samsung also plans a range of new accessories for the Galaxy S8. Two sources said a new dock and service that turns the Galaxy S8 into an Android desktop computer, connecting to a monitor, keyboard and other peripherals called DeX (desktop extension) will be available. DeX has been likened to Microsoft's Continuum, which connects Windows smartphones to a desktop extension to allow them to be used as Windows PCs, but only with Windows Store applications.
No? Oh look, my Galaxy S5 still works great (yes I can ignore the crack on the screen...).
I mean yeah, it is kind of a nit pick but I'm on my third battery right now and will probably be ordering my fourth before too long. The S5 is plenty fast enough to do everything I do with the phone, including a number of games. Just don't see what a new phone provides that an old one doesn't, including some things new phones don't provide that old ones did.
So, the argument you're going to get is that a digital port and external A/D is mo bettah for HiFi.
:) ), double so if you can't play external audio and draw power at the same time. I regularly plug my phone into stereos and power to play tunes. The headphone jack and USB port work just fine.
Meh. It's not better if it requires a dongle (let's see them put an SPDIF port on a phone
Similar with phones lacking user replaceable batteries and memory card slots - that's just planned obsolescence, and form over function. I'm (and I suspect many others) am no longer seeing any useful innovation which would support the traditional 2 year upgrade cycle, so they need to force obsolescence. They better make it cheap then, because I'm not paying hundreds of dollars for fashion and bragging rights.
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It's a fucking PHONE. I'm not expecting it to sound like my home DAC + tube amp and high end cans.
The inconvenience of needing an external solution, and the SEVERE inconvenience of not being able to charge the fucking thing while using a lightning headset or whatever, is enough to dissuade me from EVER considering an iPhone again.
If your friend is an "audiophile" why is he even using a phone for his music?
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It would be one thing if Apple hadn't completely mollified the naysayers and those with beloved analog headsets by both including a Lightning-based headset AND a simple Lightning to 3.5 mm adapter cable; but they did.
First, fanboi, when you 'mollify' your customers, you're being patronizing and insulting - much like your post. Second, Apple's workaround requires an adapter, which adds a bit of clunkiness and can easily get lost. Third, the headphones then connect to the bottom of the phone - not the most convenient thing. Fourth, you can't externally power the phone while having a headset connected - and that's a big downside for a lot of people.
One of the biggest advantages of using a digital output that an alleged "audiophile" like you has completely overlooked Is the fact that, by using an external DAC, you completely free yourself from the constraints of the analog output circuitry in the iPhone.
True, but beside the point. Users COULD have both the 3.5mm jack AND the digital audio output, if it wasn't for Apple's laughable definition of 'courage'.
Didn't think of THOSE ones, didja?
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