The last headphone jack stronghold has crumbled: Samsung has finally given up on the venerable minijack after years of mocking Apple The Galaxy S20 kills the headphone jack for good

Ever since Apple eliminated the 35mm headphone jack with the iPhone 7 in 2016, Samsung has been quite brave But that was bound to be the chronicle of its announced death

Three years later, and after a slew of commercials and statements criticizing Apple for not including a 35mm headphone jack in its $1,000 phone, the Korean company began phasing out headphones with the S10, making them a "luxury" feature It didn't matter that then-CEO DJ Ko assured everyone that Samsung had no intention of discontinuing the port

Yes, this is not the first time Samsung has not used a mini-jack on its phones The company did away with the minijack on the Galaxy Note 10, and before that did the same thing on the Galaxy A8, presumably to test consumer reaction And all but a very vocal minority of consumers don't care

But this is the first time Samsung has eliminated ports on its flagship S series of smartphones; every model of the Galaxy S20 is loved, even the Galaxy S20 Ultra, with its larger body and design that includes all the features and kitchen sinks It does not have a 35mm audio port

As we said in 2019, "It seems inevitable that Samsung will discontinue the minijack from the Galaxy S11 (now S20) This Note 10 dongle seems like a clear sign that the venerable 35mm port is dead for the Korean company" Indeed, it was

None of this is surprising, though; the iconic minijack has been a staple of portable electronics since Sony introduced the Walkman in 1979, from the Game Boy to the iPod to the iPhone, and I suspect it has run its course I'm thinking it has come full circle In a world where every man and his dog has migrated to wireless earbuds and AirPods have become as ubiquitous and iconic as the white earbuds on the iPod once were, it was only a matter of time

It is no coincidence that Samsung announced the new Galaxy Buds Plus with 11 hours of battery life and better sound quality on the same day as the Galaxy S20 lineup The writing was on the wall

Sure, wired headphones don't need battery charging at all and can be used anytime But if you want wired, you can get new USB-C headphones or a USB-C-to-headphone-jack dongle if you already have an expensive can Or, if you're like most people, give up and go wireless

So really, goodbye headphone jack Thank you for your long life