Samsung ditches headphone jack after jabs at jackless rivals

NEW YORK (AP) — Samsung’s newest smartphone won’t have a headphone jack. The Galaxy Note 10 loses that, even though Samsung executives have long poked fun at rivals for ditching it.

Executives say that’s being done to give the phone a 7.5% boost in battery capacity over last year’s Note 9. The new phone is being called the Note 10 Plus and will have a larger display than the Note 9, even though the overall size is about the same.

Samsung is also introducing a smaller version, simply called the Note 10, for those who believe phones have gotten too big.

The Note 10 goes for $949 and the Plus for $150 more. The new models were announced Wednesday and will come out Aug. 23.

Apple is expected to release new iPhones next month.