Samsung Galaxy A8 (2016) Renders Show Odd Speaker Location
Samsung is having one hell of a time dealing with the Galaxy Note 7 mess, but, of course, the show must go on. That means still putting out new models, hopefully ones that don't have the same "rare" manufacturing flaw. Next in line, it seems, will be the 2016 model of the Galaxy A8. Based on leaked renders of the device, the smartphone will carry on the new glass motif if the Galaxy A series. But curiously enough, it also hints at a rather strange new location for the smartphone's speaker.
The Galaxy A series was born out of a desire to bring some of Samsung's more premium looks down to the mid-range line. The first generation of that line sported a "faux" metal design back when Samsung's flagships were starting to shed off their plastic chassis. This year, however, the Galaxy A is moving on to glass, just like the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy Note 7 this year.
We've seen clues about the upcoming Galaxy A8's specs last month from a Geekbench entry. It pointed to an octa-core Exyno 7420 processor, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The 5.1-inch screen would be presumably decent with a 1080p resolution. Given a classy look as suggested by these 3D renders, the Galaxy A8 (2016) could very well be Samsung's mid-range savior this year.
One strange change, however, is the placement of the speaker, now located on the upper right edge of the device, just above the power/lock button. It's an unconventional location that you probably won't see elsewhere. And it's not like something substantial replaced it at the bottom. There you will still see a microUSB, not USB-C port, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and the bottom mic. Also odd that the headphone jack seems to now be located on the right side of the USB port, instead of the usual left.
It still boggles the mind why Samsung would make such a change, but it might have one positive effect. That would mean that, unless you were holding the smartphone upside down, your hands won't be covering the speaker in any position, whether up right or in landscape for gaming.
VIA: OnLeaks