Take a good look at the smartphone pictured at the top of this post. It’s a Google Pixel, and for at least another few weeks, it’s the best Android smartphone money can buy. The Pixel features cutting-edge specs, a class-leading camera, the latest and greatest version of the Android operating system — which is something most Android smartphones cannot say — and a stunning all-glass and aluminum design. Of course that beautiful design belonged to Apple’s iPhone 6 long before the Pixel was even a glimmer in anyone’s eye. Ditch the glass panel on the top and you’re basically left with an iPhone; the Pixel has the exact same look and even exact same shape as Apple’s 2014 iPhones (and 2015 iPhones… and 2016 iPhones).
Outside of a handful of overzealous Android fans, most people have come to accept the fact that the Pixel is an eerily accurate iPhone clone, which makes even more sense when you consider the company that helped Google build the Pixel and Pixel XL. And now, it appears as though the upcoming next-generation Google Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 will continue the tradition.
It wasn’t exactly a mystery that Google was planning to follow up its first “made by Google” smartphone duo with second-generation models this year, but Google publicly confirmed the upcoming new phones for the first time just last week. Little is known about the Pixel 2 and the Pixel XL 2 for the time being. In fact, we’re not even sure the new phones will be called “Pixel 2” and “Pixel XL 2.”
What we may know, however, is that Google isn’t done copying Apple’s iPhones.
According to the blog 9to5Google, which has a good track record, Google plans to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack on its upcoming second-generation Pixel phones. The site says it has seen internal documents from Google that state unequivocally that the standard headphone jack on Google’s new Pixel is kaput. Specifically, the blog says “the language used presents the removal of the jack as a matter of fact.”
This is hardly a confirmation that the 3.5mm audio port will be left off the upcoming new Pixel 2, but the move would certainly make sense. As Apple noted when it unveiled the headphone jack-less iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the 3.5mm headphone jack is a legacy port that serves only one replaceable purpose, which means it takes up room that could be better utilized by other internal hardware.
If this rumor does pan out and the headphone jack is gone on the new Pixel 2, let’s just hope Google doesn’t troll us like Apple did.
