Sunday debate: Is removing the headphone jack the way forward?

21 January 2018
In this installment of our Sunday debate, we discuss whether removing the headphone jack is the way forward.

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""Removing the 3.5mm jack gives phone manufactures greater flexibility with their form factors and internal placement of components while making it easier for them to make their devices waterproof and robust and more importantly with the right headphones improved audio quality.""

Never heard more stuqid thing this year...

1. Removing something that lots users still use and its compatible with other media device is NOT "flexibility", its downgrade.
Having annoying USB dongle with you is not "flexibility".

2. MiniJack and its side components on any device bigger than 5inches is not a problem to place, it have nothing to to with "internal placement of components".
Even Thickness of 5mm is not a problem for it.

3. Making device waterproof with audio jack is not a problem, like MANY devices for past year showed us.

4. Last sentence is just king of the hill in terms of lack of not knowing anything about topic, but overall lack of intelligence, because "with the right headphones" you can get better sound even if you connect them to phone using 3 stripped cables and stuck them inside the phone. I can ebt my house and my car that "with the right headphones" connected to 3.5mm jack you will get better sound than though any pseudo-digital USB connected headphones.

All that advertising mambo-jambo bait that you took when they say "phone have digital super-mega-ultra sound dac" need to be converted to analog signal, go though your usb cable, dongle, and then put inside headphone driver.

So no, removing it is not good, because people still use it, technology that "replaced" it is placebo and that whole thing was made just to milk users from money when they buy dongles and new headphones JUST for their phones.

    -. -, 21 Jan 2018The problem is not about the removing of headphone jack, bu... moreAbsolutely agree.
    I understand that USBC is more convenient port than 3.5 mm one, as it takes less space. But removing the headphone extra port, and share the function with just one dedicated charger/usb OTG port is nonsens.

    There should be at LEAST that one extra dedicated USB C port for usb headphones, alongside the charging/otg dedicated one.
    Just one for three functions on a phone is serious downgrade of user accessability.
    Extra Dongles with two interfaces for charge and headphones for that single one... are also clumsy useless nonsens.

    If new Xperia flag is indeed going that lousy way too, goodbye...
    ... aint buying phones with single USB C and no headphone dedicated port lousy trend following.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • tVn
      • 21 Jan 2018

      AnonD-1825, 21 Jan 2018IPhone X design wouldn't have been possible without losing ... moreAlright. Alright we get it. Anything to defend the Apple brand.

        We live in a standarized era, and that's good. We can share the same headphones and the same charger. But right now, we still have 3 kind of charger, microUSB, Type-C, and Apple's proprietary design. Until the day come where all company only use Type-C as their solution, I'm sticking with 3.5mm jack, thanks

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • LkA
          • 21 Jan 2018

          Sony is going to join the greedy OEMs team and remove the jack

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            • Iskander
            • iE7
            • 21 Jan 2018

            AnonD-1825, 21 Jan 2018I found the bad compromise "The camera setup on the Mi Mix ... moreThe compromise of the camera at the bottom has nothing to do with space for a 3.5mm jack at the top. Do you have any clue to how tiny a front facing camera module actually is? The reason for it to be at the bottom is not to cut into the display or to have a bezel at the top. It's a design choice, as much as cutting the display in the iPhone X was. The point stands, you can have a 3.5mm jack with a bezel-less top (or bottom, if you would want to place it there).

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              • AnonD-1825
              • p7H
              • 21 Jan 2018

              Iskander, 21 Jan 2018That's total BS. did you check the design of the Mi Mix 1? ... moreI found the bad compromise "The camera setup on the Mi Mix is a little different than it is on most phones, given that we've lost the top bezel of the phone. Instead the selfie camera is located at the bottom right corner of the phone,"

              that's why they got the free space for Headphone jack at the top.

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                • Iskander
                • iE7
                • 21 Jan 2018

                AnonD-1825, 21 Jan 2018Which means they had to do compromises at top of the phone ... moreJut because Xiaomi decided to follow other companies by removing it from the Mi Mix 2, does not mean it couldn't be placed on it. They just didn't. If anything, the Mi Mix 2 had more space on the top for it than the Mi Mix 1 had.

                Point is, you do not need a big bezel to place a 3.5mm jack and Xiaomi (and Sharp as well) have proven that with previous designs. Your assertion that the iPhone X could not have it because of it's bezels therefor is incorrect.

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                  • AnonD-1825
                  • p7H
                  • 21 Jan 2018

                  Anonymous, 21 Jan 2018Nope. Thinner phones with bigger batteries still have it. Y... moreI didn't say anything about thinness?

                  If you can find a design like iPhone X with Headphone jack then you are right. So far there isn't and Samsung would have done it If it's possible.

                    blame apple for everything

                      This is just another form of smart phone evolution. In the future, if iPhone replaces lighting with USB-C, then all smart phone headphones will be universal! USB-C will be next 3.5mm jack. As Razer CEO mentioned in the interview that they were able squeeze larger battery by omitting 3.5mm jack, I'll take more battery over a 3.5mm jack. Love it or hate it, this is the future, so get used it.

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                        • AnonD-1825
                        • p7H
                        • 21 Jan 2018

                        Sony Xperia Fan, 21 Jan 2018"Without headphone jack, phones will be more waterproof" ... moreThe reason is removing that bottom bezel,

                        If that would be possible Samsung would have done it already, they are known for having small bezels, but now they just can't go further because they are keeping the headphone jack.

                        Google said this too that this was reason why they did it with pixel 2 so their upcoming phone will have less bezels.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • I8m
                          • 21 Jan 2018

                          AnonD-1825, 21 Jan 2018Which means they had to do compromises at top of the phone ... moreNope. Thinner phones with bigger batteries still have it. You have no point

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                            • -mv-
                            • D0H
                            • 21 Jan 2018

                            We need a other wired access head set .
                            Else
                            Will suffer Bluetooth radiation ..

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                              • AnonD-1825
                              • p7H
                              • 21 Jan 2018

                              Iskander, 21 Jan 2018That's total BS. did you check the design of the Mi Mix 1? ... moreWhich means they had to do compromises at top of the phone because mi mix 2 didn't had it anymore.

                              Just proves my point.

                                I have 6 working Bluetooth earphone devices, Anker Soundbuds Slim and the Gear IconX 2018 being the latest ones. I enjoy the wireless freedom as I can move around with no wires to accidentally yank out. However, I do use the headphone jack in some situations like when I'm running out of batteries on my BT earphone of the day, or the ability to connect to a sound system while my phone is charging at the same time.

                                The only main reason why Apple removed it is to push people to buy AirPods - "courage", my @$$! It was nothing more than a business move to sell millions of them. Competition is a good thing - it pushed Samsung to come out with longer functioning IconX earphones with built-in music storage and audio coaching for exercise. Probably this will even push Apple to finally come out with AirPods with built-in music storage.

                                  It wasn't really necessary to remove it, but when they did, I switched to BT earphones and haven't looked back one bit. Using a wired cable now feels ridiculous. Yeah the sound quality is a bit less but this is more than fine for 99% of the people. The soundphiles who want the best sound quality possible should stick to a brand that's faithful to the 3.5mm jack, and the rest should just move on.

                                    Kiyasuriin, 21 Jan 2018I definitely agree with you. I am pro 3.5mm jack like you. ... moreWhoops.it's Oppo. the R5. and his brother R5s

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                                      • Iskander
                                      • iE7
                                      • 21 Jan 2018

                                      AnonD-1825, 21 Jan 2018IPhone X design wouldn't have been possible without losing ... moreThat's total BS. did you check the design of the Mi Mix 1? Did you check where it's 3.5mm jack is placed? Going by your claim, you likely didn't. I'll give you a hint. It's at the bezel-less top of the phone.

                                        3.5mm jack should stay. Those who want to use USB C headphones or Lightning EarPods can use on their respective ports, but the option for those who still wants the dedicated 3.5mm headphone jack should still have the option.
                                        The more choices there are, the better. Besides, lack of headphone jack brings little to no improvements to the phone. Huawei Mate 10 has headphone jack and a beefy 4000mAh battery but it ain't too heavy or thick either.