On August 16th 2016, Intel announced that the next generation of smartphones may drop the 3.5mm analog audio port in favor of the new USB Type-C. The move is seen as a step forward in the evolution of the smartphone, by bringing digital audio to the technology. Replacing the 3.5mm jack will allow smartphone makers to reclaim valuable space that is now being taken up by digital to analog circuitry.
While many may lament the loss of the 3.5mm audio jack, Intel is promising that the new USB Type-C audio port will offer some new features that should more than make up of for the loss. First, the elimination of the jack will make the phones cheaper to make. By using USB Type-C ports, headphones will then be able to use smart power management that would automatically turn off the microphone when not in use.
USB Type-C will also offer the user other features such as noise cancelling and the ability to use sound effects to change how the audio sounds. The Apple MacBook and Samsung Galaxy Note 6 are already using USB Type-C, while it has been rumored that the Apple iPhone 7 will be adding the new port when it is released later in 2016. For those worried about using their current headphones, Intel says that dongles will be made available.
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