Unconfirmed Leak Says Google Pixel & Pixel XL Would Have No Headphone Jack

Similar to the speculated iPhone 8 of Apple which has been rumored to remove the headphone jack, Google is also said to plan to remove the headphone jack for the Pixel and Pixel XL. The basis of the unconfirmed rumor is an internal Google document. But what kind of document it is was not identified for fear of placing the source of the leak at risk?

A Sure Thing

Although GSM Arena, which reported the leak, does not have an image of the document, its source assures that the language used stated the removal of the headphone jack of the Pixel and Pixel XL “as a matter of fact.” It implies that Google has decided on the matter and the tech giant is not just mulling on it. However, the tech website acknowledges its source of the leak is only one person and others have not verified the rumor.

But GSM Arena raises the possibility that the Google document could be old and the company had changed plans. One reason why it believes Google would not remove the headphone jack of the Pixel and Pixel XL is that the company criticized Apple’s removal of the headphone jack of the speculated iPhone 8. Previous speculations about the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL state these two smartphones would be premium, focus on photography, and likely sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset.

Other Android Phones Kept Headphone Jack

9To5Google cites a separate leak in January that Google is testing several Pixel 2 models with different new chipsets, using Snapdragon and Intel chips. But the tip excluded anything about removing the headphone jack and included possible waterproofing. Other Android phones, such as Samsung, are retaining it.

Google launched the Pixel and Pixel smartphones in 2016 and advertised that the 3.5mm headphone jack is one of the Pixel phones’ features over Apple’s iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus that do not have the audio jack, GizmoChina points out.