Samsung is expected to launch its next flagship early next year. Meanwhile, speculations suggest that the anticipated Galaxy S8 will get new and improved features, such as a revamped headphone jack.

Forbes reports that it is already expected that Samsung will switch from a microUSB port to a USB Type-C port for its device lineups, as it had already done with the Galaxy Note 7. However, supposed leaks have pointed out that aside from the USB Type-C being a charging and data port, the South Korea-based tech giant is also thinking of audio tech for its flagship releases next year. Supposedly, the USB Type-C port on the Samsung Galaxy S8 will also serve as its headphone jack.

Should this prove true, it would mean that Samsung is ditching the standard 3.5 mm audio jack, although it is unclear if the switch will be a proprietary one for the tech maker. Meanwhile, ditching the standard headphone port is actually not an original idea. Recently, Apple has started the wave, with the 3.5 mm jack missing from its recently-released iPhone 7. However, the switch has been met with mixed feedback, so it is unclear if Apple will continue with this feature for succeeding lineups, or if this will be just a one-time option for the new iPhone.

As for Samsung, a USB Type-C port for the Galaxy S8 is only one of the improvements for the new lineup. Speculations suggest that the new flagship will also be one of the top-tier iterations for 2017, as Samsung is expected to feature premium chipset and GPU in the new device. With a new Exynos 8895 and an ARM Mali-G71 graphics card, the Galaxy S8 will be capable of natively supporting VR content. Meanwhile, the VR feature will be enhanced by a rumored edge-to-edge 4K display.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 is expected to debut in the opening months of 2017, which could be as early as February.