Counterclockwise: the rise (and impending doom) of the 3.5mm audio jack

17 November 2017
From proprietary COM ports through a short flirtation with 2.5mm to USB-C and beyond.

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Anonymous, 19 Nov 2017LDAC is now part of Android 8. With Sony headphones, any ... moreAnd that's the thing; only Sony has this technology, just got shared to others through the update. And only Sony headphones work with it, so I'd get a Sony phone instead.
Then everyone else say that Sony is irrelevant in the Android world when it was actually them who saved us all from the disaster that's brought by the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack.

    Thesis86, 19 Nov 2017Here's the thing...waterproofing is overrate because over t... moreThe point is that the protection is there, and I'd rather have a waterproof phone than anything with none, because accidents could happen anytime and no matter how careful you are, they would still occur.

    Besides, who told you that waterproofing errodes over time? The only time it gets lost is when you attempt to open the phone, in which you'll doubtly ever do in reality.
    Even then, you could just bring the phone to the manufacturer and ask them to fix it and still retain the IP68 rating.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • LQX
      • 19 Nov 2017

      FinnishInquisition, 19 Nov 2017No. Modern waterproofed smartphones aren't using any nanoco... moreZ Ultra and Z3+ had less than 7mm.

      The new phones got thicker because of power button as FPS.
      Also the loop.

        FinnishInquisition, 19 Nov 2017At what point did I claim 3.5 mm ports on laptops was impos... moreThe matter of fact is that we can have both, so why should we compromise something?

        Give us an excellent USB C port audio jack, and the same time also give us the old but gold 3.5mm headphone jack, and give us IP68 too; Sony, Samsung, and LG can do it, so no excuse to anyone.

          Thesis86, 19 Nov 2017Luckily, ultra books aren't the only type of laptop on the ... moreAt what point did I claim 3.5 mm ports on laptops was impossible? I'm just saying that our laptops are headed in the same direction in terms of thinness. Besides, it makes more sense to have USB-C ports that can be used for a hundred things rather than a 3.5 mm port that can be used for one.

          And unlike what you claim, USB-C can produce just as good audio as 3.5 mm port, with the difference that you have zero interference, get DAC/amps hand-picked and tuned for your headphones and can get powered features like ANC. I'd say its far superior for portable devices.

          USB-A has been around for 21 years. There's no reason to believe USB-C won't last as long.

          I'm also sorry to tell you that it doesn't matter if you think waterproofing is overrated. Consumers want sleek devices and waterproofing, and in order to achieve that there needs to be compromises with other features.

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            • AnonD-711468
            • 3Ai
            • 19 Nov 2017

            AnonD-695347, 19 Nov 2017Yeap, USB-C also can play music, theoretically, somehow ... moreNo difference, dac is increasingly included on headphones and/or the adapters. Much preferable too, instead of allowing this choice to the phone manufacturer, I can now choose a choose a dac of my own.

            USB-C ages incredibly well, it's dual-side for a reason. You'd hardly notice a difference if you also use it for music/handsfree (I use my USB-C on my laptop heavily for the last 1.5 year or so, most rock solid port ever).

              Anonymous, 19 Nov 2017No, its a combination of both ingress protection along with... moreNo. Modern waterproofed smartphones aren't using any nanocoating. They use the traditional sealing methods. I encourage you to find a source for your claims if you want to prove differently.

              Samsung and Sony aren't exactly masters of thinness, while Apple is. Regardless, just because one manufacturer can do something doesn't mean everyone can. Besides, consumers value design over having a port they barely use, the function of which is already duplicated by the other port on the phone.

                FinnishInquisition, 19 Nov 2017Because waterproofing is made more difficult, costly and bu... moreHere's the thing...waterproofing is overrate because over the time you own the phone, the waterproofing erodes. The vast majority of people aren't near bodies of water enough for it to be a required feature when Otterbox and other companies do a better job at that than these.

                  FinnishInquisition, 19 Nov 2017While we're not quite there yet, Ultrabooks are certainly a... moreLuckily, ultra books aren't the only type of laptop on the market. Even Apple's 12" Macbook still has a headphone jack and it is the thinnest. So yes, it is possible. I'm not buying USB Type C as the port to replace them all, either. Should technology continue to advance, another port will replace Type C, not a refinement. None of these arguments work. Type C can't produce better sound. It is a waste to remove it.

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                    • Anonymous
                    • v3B
                    • 19 Nov 2017

                    FinnishInquisition, 19 Nov 2017I've heard others believe there's some sort of nanocoating ... moreNo, its a combination of both ingress protection along with nano coating. Waterproof phones with headphone jacks isn't new, been around for some time...

                    Once again, Samsung, LG & Sony all have smartphones with headphone jacks in 2017. They seem to have room for it despite having comparable dimensions to iPhones.

                      Anonymous, 19 Nov 2017Not exactly true. Phones like Samsung Galaxy S8, Sony Xperi... moreI've heard others believe there's some sort of nanocoating as well, but that's simply not true I'm afraid. They're simply ingress protected with good old gaskets, sealing glue, plastic encapsulations and fine-mesh coverings.

                      And Android manufacturers have no more "free space" in their devices than Apple do with theirs. They're all tightly packed electronic devices that need to look as appealing to the consumers as possible.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • v3B
                        • 19 Nov 2017

                        FinnishInquisition, 19 Nov 2017Because waterproofing is made more difficult, costly and bu... moreNot exactly true. Phones like Samsung Galaxy S8, Sony Xperia & LG can be waterproof and still have the 3.5mm jack is because they apply a layer of hydrophobic nano coating waterproof all over the phone. The reason why the jack may be a fault of water damage after some time, is due to the nano coating wearing off in the 3.5mm hole from constantly plugging and unplugging headphones. Not because of bulk or space issues.

                        iPhone may have their reasons to remove the headphone jack to free space, but Android phones, with the freedom of having larger bodies/chassis with room to spare, do not apply to this rule; no reason for them to remove the jack other than riding on Apple's trend.

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                          • AnonD-715331
                          • t@T
                          • 19 Nov 2017

                          And that's what Apple did brought back the annoying adapter that everyone else done that annoyed everyone. I love the 3.5mm plug it still has great sound over Bluetooth!

                            Denis Thomas, 19 Nov 2017Really? What does the waterproofing have to do with the hea... moreIf I can recall correctly, Apple did away with the 3.5mm jack so they could make more money off of audio accessories that use the thunderbolt port.

                            Apple has the money to spend on parts from different companies. Apple has built a brand many people love. A premium phone for a premium price.

                            Every company has their pros and cons.

                            Also it's probably easier to waterproof the charging port over the 3.5mm headphone jack.

                              Denis Thomas, 19 Nov 2017Really? What does the waterproofing have to do with the hea... moreBecause waterproofing is made more difficult, costly and bulky when you have more holes to keep sealed, such as a 3.5 mm port. A waterproofed 3.5 mm port is for example significantly larger than a standard 3.5 mm port.

                              And all internals are related to what other internals there's room for in a smartphone. Remove one internal component and you'll have more space for the rest, or better wire layout. That doesn't take a genius to figure out.

                              Apple couldn't put a 3.5 mm port in the iPhone 7. It simply wasn't designed for it.
                              If you're talking about "Strange Parts" work on putting a 3.5 mm port in the iPhone 7, he drilled a cupping into the back panel (weakening it), moved the battery so that it was against the logic board (Samsung Note 7 flashbacks, anyone?), angled the haptic engine so that it too was against the battery, trimmed down the 3.5 mm port to a shell (making waterproofing further impossible) and compromised the display (pressure could destroy his panel, and did so several times).

                              And if you haven't noticed it, everyone are buying OLED panels from Samsung and camera sensors from Sony. They happen to be the best in the market for those parts, so you'd have to be a fool not to.

                                Anonymous, 19 Nov 2017This article makes it sound like the audio jack was invente... moreDisc man, mini disc man ;-) kids today just doesn't know

                                  FinnishInquisition, 19 Nov 2017For discussing the benefits of removing the 3.5 mm port? Ye... moreReally? What does the waterproofing have to do with the headphone jack? Sony is knocking apple with innovation here mate. Both waterproof and with a headphone jack!

                                  Battery size has nothing to do with the headphone jack much. it's already shown that apple could have put a headphone jack as well, but just didn't because.. reasons. By saying that the removal of a feature is beneficial when others have the benefits you mentioned, and the headphone jack means the other companies are just ahead of apple, just like always have been.
                                  apple always is behind hardware wise, begging Sony for cameras, samsung for screens etc. Its quite laughable.

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                                    • Anonymous
                                    • qJ}
                                    • 19 Nov 2017

                                    This article makes it sound like the audio jack was invented in 2001 lol.
                                    Ppl were using 3.5mm before you were born. Heard of walkmans? Cassettes? Radios?

                                      AnonD-441601, 19 Nov 2017Another one who wants to live like caveman without any phone :-)What does my choice of wanting everything from a phone means im a caveman?
                                      ADo you even think about what you type?

                                      A headphone jack is a feature, not something to be removed, and can't be replaced.
                                      Your illusion about it's removal is like those people still commenting "sony mobile will end soon" since years ago. Sony is still kicking and the headphone jack still rocks in flagships.

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                                        • Anonymous
                                        • v3B
                                        • 19 Nov 2017

                                        Thesis86, 19 Nov 2017Headphone jacks only seem to be obsolete on phones. Even th... moreAbsolutely agree with you on that. The only other industry supporting this trend, are headphone manufacturers; allowing them a new marketing scheme to sell "new" type-c/wireless headphones, along with Hi-Res digital music formats like 24/192 & DSD, which doesn't improve the listening experience, but confusing enough to trick new consumers into thinking it "should" sound better.

                                        What's even more bogus is that, while AptX and LDAC bluetooth transmission is on par with wired headphones, every phone with a Snapdragon SoC (Qualcomm bought AptX recently) doesn't seem to be promoting it or enabling AptX on their phones as standard.

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