Smartphones are some of the best technologies that lived up to its hype. Fans can all probably agree that smartphones get more and more high-tech as the years pass by. What started out as a simple device with the internet connection now comes with all the features you didn't know you'd need in a smartphone. May it be high-end cameras, thousands of third-party apps or a WiFi hotspot feature, today's smartphones are definitely very much equipped with all the great features. If you're one of the people who have always been a fan of smartphones, here are some of the things that are expected from next year's set of flagships.

All-Display Front Surface

Almost all 2017 predicted flagship smartphones are rumored to have an all-display frontal. Meaning, there will be no home button anywhere on the front and the smartphones will have a smooth front surface. This has been mentioned about the supposed iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy S8 and even the unacknowledged Microsoft Surface Phone. If this rumored feature does get materialized, it would be a big change from what we have been used to so far. No home buttons is quite a game-changer.

Virtual Fingerprint Scanner

With the absence of a supposed home button, there are smartphones that would need to rely on fingerprint scanners that are embedded under the display panel. This has been rumored for the iPhone 8 which has also been said by Mac Rumors to have a glass body. The Galaxy S8 and the supposed Surface Phone are also expected to have display-embedded scanners.

VR-Integration

With the rise of VR technology, 2017 could see some of the most VR-oriented smartphones ever. This year has already been good in introducing such technology and this can definitely progress up to next year. There could be more phablets coming in next year and phones with a superb display and 4K support. Flagships could also not miss the chance to be a part of the VR rise and also come with features dedicated to making VR experience as amazing as possible.

Ditched Audio Jack

Apple already did this and it looks like it didn't exactly hinder iPhone 7 and 7 Plus' success, so there's a good chance that other smartphone makers might do it as well. The Galaxy S8 has also been rumored to ditch the 3.5 mm audio jack, as per Android Central. With that said, it looks like the trend has started and it is meant to spread among other smartphone brands. If this turns out to be true, in a span of a few years, popular smartphone series could no longer have the 3.5 mm jack we've all known and loved.

Needless to say, there's still a good chance that this would only happen in flagship devices and not in midrange devices. So with that said, it's hard to conclude that the 3.5 mm jack will be totally removed as a smartphone technology. Flagships need all the space it can get for all the right reasons so compromising the 3.5 mm jack may be understandable, but for affordable smartphones, this may not exactly be a necessary step. Needless to say, the removal of the audio jack may no longer be a big deal next year as much as it was this 2016.