A new rumour about Google's next Pixel flagship is floating around, and it suggests the 2017 phone will drop the headphone jack.

Taking a page from Apple's playbook, the second-generation Pixel (also called Pixel 2) may not offer a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. This news comes from 9to5Google, which cites one source that it hasn't been able to confirm. The site didn't even publish a news story but rather made an announcement in its comments section. So, who knows how credible this is, but 9to5Google does have a good track record.

Until the iPhone 7, all phones had headphone jacks. (The major flagships did anyway.) The iPhone 7 has sparked this new trend now, and many are wondering what's the point. In a nutshell: getting rid of the jack is literally like plugging a hole and therefore makes waterproofing easier for companies; getting rid of the jack allows a phone to be either smaller or incorporate a larger battery; and getting rid of the jack enables a phone to go completely wireless.

Think about it. Without a headphone jack, you have to use wireless headphones (or you have to use an adapter with wired headphones). So those are the positives, but in terms of negatives, it will seem like Google is copying Apple. Plus, let's not forget that Apple has faced a lot of criticism for ditching the headphone jack. Either way, we're sure Google will spin its own marketing angle if it does indeed drop the jack.

Check out Pocket-lint's Pixel 2 guide for more information about what we'd like the upcoming phone to feature.