The Galaxy Note 10 could be Samsung’s first buttonless phone

Now that the Galaxy Fold is delayed yet again, all eyes are on Samsung’s traditional mid-year flagship, the Galaxy Note 10. But while the ninth version of the Note is set to be the most interesting, it’s also likely going to be the most controversial.

Samsung has long suggested it would stay away from the notch trend, nor remove the headphone jack from its premium phones.

Well, it’s 2019, and some of its devices have notches. And judging by reports, the Note 10 could be the first Samsung flagship to ditch the headphone jack.

Android Police on Thursday, quoting “source familiar with the company’s plans”, suggests that the headphone jack will not feature on the Note 10.

Even weirder, Samsung may actually remove all buttons on the phone too. These physical clicky buttons will be replaced with raised and dimpled zones on the side of the phone that respond to pressure. This includes the power and volume buttons.

The latest news comes after a similar report by Korea’s ETNews in March.

Notably, Samsung has started removing the Bixby button entirely, instead allowing users access to the voice assistant via the power button.

It’s not a new concept either. Other devices, like HTC and Google, have adopted capacitive, pressure-sensitive zones on the sides of their phones.

Traditional buttons and the headphone jack present a few problems for manufacturers. For one, gaps in the body are a headache for water and dust protection. The headphone jack also takes up space within the phone that could be used for cameras or a larger battery.

Still, the utility of the jack warrants its inclusion. The introduction of capacitive buttons though? Well, that’s an entirely separate discussion.

Expect the Galaxy Note 10 to debut around August/September as per tradition, but there could be two versions of the device this time around.

Feature image: The Samsung Galaxy Note 8, by Andy Walker/Memeburn