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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)

Posted by BeauHD on from the two-in-one dept.

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.

19 of 146 comments (clear)

  1. One word: Cowardice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Jacks and docks are remnants of the past best forgotten and left behind. This is a company doomed to crumble by not looking to the future.

    1. Re:One word: Cowardice by sudden.zero · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Not at all. For audiophiles such as myself a headphone jack is a requirement for purchasing any device. Until bluetooth headphones/headsets can provide the same quality as my corded headphones this will not change.

    2. Re:One word: Cowardice by bigfinger76 · · Score: 5, Funny

      How's the fidelity on that whoosh? Clear?

    3. Re:One word: Cowardice by Wrath0fb0b · · Score: 2

      Is there any fidelity lost plugged your corded headphone into the lightning-to-3.5mm dongle on the iPhone, or a similar one that Samsung would use?

      My understanding as a non-audiophile was actually that moving the DAC further away from the other components would actually reduce certain types of electrical noise. But even without that, it should be no worse from an audio quality point of view.

    4. Re:One word: Cowardice by fluffernutter · · Score: 2

      Ability to charge the phone is lost in that case. Plus a big kick in the ass if you forgot your dongle.

      --
      Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
    5. Re:One word: Cowardice by msauve · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So, the argument you're going to get is that a digital port and external A/D is mo bettah for HiFi.

      Meh. It's not better if it requires a dongle (let's see them put an SPDIF port on a phone :) ), 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.

      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.

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    6. Re:One word: Cowardice by Gojira+Shipi-Taro · · Score: 5, Insightful

      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?

      --
      "Oh my God. This is terrible. This is the end of my Presidency. I'm fucked."; ~ Donald J. Trump
    7. Re:One word: Cowardice by jenningsthecat · · Score: 5, Insightful

      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?

      --
      'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.
    8. Re:One word: Cowardice by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Actually a lot of audiophiles do use phones these days. Some phones have really good headphone amplifiers (Samsung especially) and most Android phones support USB DACs. There are a huge number of portable USB DACs available.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    9. Re: One word: Cowardice by fortfive · · Score: 3, Informative

      The dac in the apple provided dongle is inferior to that in the iphone 6.

    10. Re:One word: Cowardice by Mr.+Droopy+Drawers · · Score: 2

      It doesn't have to be the size of a brick to have a replaceable battery. Gluing the phone together like the S7 is makes it virtually impossible to install a new battery. It doesn't have to be that way.

      --

      To Copy from One is Plagiarism; To Copy from Many is Research.

    11. Re:One word: Cowardice by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

      Actually a lot of audiophiles do use phones these days. Some phones have really good headphone amplifiers (Samsung especially) and most Android phones support USB DACs. There are a huge number of portable USB DACs available.

      So, all the people that have been screaming about Apple removing the analog jack, and here are people willing to carry around an external DAC.

      Sigh.

    12. Re:One word: Cowardice by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      Hardly "all the people", just the hardcore audiophiles. The majority of people screwed by losing the headphone jack are the ones who listen all day at work and can't charge at the same time without an adapter chain.

      And in any case, audiophiles prefer Android because USB gives you a much wider choice of DAC than Lightning.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  2. Predictions based on Samsung Ownership by youngone · · Score: 2
    Keeping the 3.5mm jack will be popular, an they learned from the stupid S6 which had no micro-sd card slot.

    The dock thing will not be popular, even if it works Samsung will force users to use some terrible Samsung software and it will be awful.

    It might be a pretty good phone though.

  3. Removable battery? by Drethon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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.

    1. Re:Removable battery? by vux984 · · Score: 2

      Yeah, but now you have to charge and carry around 2 batteries.

      I'm not even sure how you charge your battery when its not in the phone? Chargers for just your phone batteries hasn't been mainstream since the StarTAC was a big deal.

      To each their own, but the idea of carrying around 2 batteries isn't making me even slightly envious of your $25 2ndary batter that 'only takes 30 seconds to replace'....If i really wanted more portable juice i'd probably carry one of those external usb battery packs to 'charge on the go'. Even that seems more convenient than whatever you must do.

  4. WTF is an "Android Desktop"? by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

    Ok, so you can put a USB-C connector on your phone, throw a few generic drivers into the OS, offer one of the many USB-C port replacer docks that people use with their laptops, and call your phone a "desktop". Yeah, ok...

    Doesn't make it actually practical in the real world.

    You can do that right now (actually, for the past few years) with an iPhone using AirPlay (or the HDMI adapter), a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse (yes, iOS can use them just fine), and an AirPrint-compatible printer. Again, doesn't make it actually practical for anything but the most limited of use-cases.

  5. Headphone jack? by bazmail · · Score: 2

    Where's the COURAGE?

  6. Waiting for the next logical step by johannesg · · Score: 2

    Apparently a phone without a border is deemed the pinnacle of human achievement by phone manufacturers. Still, I think it's not good enough. I'm holding out for a phone where the screen actually extends beyond the physical phone. Not this sissy "right up until the edge but no further", no silly "wrap around and continue on the back", no, I want a phone where the screen is larger than the physical device itself!

    What's that? Pointless? Impossible? Well, that didn't stop you for this model, did it?