The Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus will feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, as suggested by a new leak of what’s said to be a set of USB Type-C flex cables belonging to the larger members of Samsung’s upcoming Android flagship lineup. The 3.5mm port can be seen in the bottom right portion of the module and while the image seen above isn’t indicative of any waterproofing elements, the Galaxy S9 series is widely expected to feature IP68-certified resistance to dust particles and water, much like the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S8 smartphones did. The newly emerged USB Type-C flex cables are believed to be meant for the Galaxy S9 Plus due to the SM-G965F model number printed on them that’s clearly seen in the leaked image and was previously associated with Samsung’s next Android phablet. The “F” part of the identifier suggests these particular modules will be implemented into the international, single-SIM variants of the device, though all models should feature a 3.5mm audio jack.
Samsung remains one of the few major original equipment manufacturers that are unwilling to do away with a conventional headphone port on their new premium mobile devices and has already publicly stated its commitment to the 3.5mm jack with the introduction of the Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, and the Galaxy Note 8 at a time when many phone vendors started removing such modules. The company’s next pair of Android flagships won’t just succeed the widely used audio port found on its predecessors but is also expected to be extremely similar to the Galaxy S8 lineup, both in terms of design and functionalities. The 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch Infinity Display panels are hence both said to be making a return next spring, together with a base of 64GB of storage space and a single-lens camera setup found on the smaller Galaxy S9.
The Galaxy S9 Plus is rumored to be a significantly bigger upgrade over the previous flagships and will reportedly ship with a dual-camera setup and 6GB of RAM as opposed to 4GB. The most premium variant of the device may also boast 512GB of storage space enabled by a new flash memory chip Samsung started mass-producing earlier this month. The duo is expected to be officially announced in late February and start retailing by March.