Sony on why it dropped the headphone jack: the other kids were doing it

14 March 2018
Sony designers noticed a "major market trend" and didn't want to spoil their beautiful Ambient Flow design with an extra hole.

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  • AnonD-743635
  • Kn8
  • 15 Mar 2018

Anonymous, 14 Mar 2018Neo generation of headphones/earphones with USB type c plug... moreYou are lucky if you get USB-C in a phone that cost less than u$s300, getting two seems like a dream, one would think that the USB-C jacks are made of platinum or something, or someone is charging 50 dollars for a USB-C license/hardware (even when most usb-c implementations in phones are plain jane old USB 2) . GSMarena could investigate what's the deal with them.

    • G
    • Gross
    • tx4
    • 15 Mar 2018

    Sony follow apple to do that, because apple is apple

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • H5L
      • 14 Mar 2018

      no 3.5 mm jack - fail
      no sony for my without 3.5 mm jack

        I Like sony and i love the XZ2 but this is absurd!

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • ELT
          • 14 Mar 2018

          Neo generation of headphones/earphones with USB type c plug & extra USB type c port exclusively for headphones/earphones is the only solution & salvation

            • A
            • ANIMAL
            • UD{
            • 14 Mar 2018

            I don't know how many ppl practically enough to know that head phone jack is better than a wireless head phone.
            but majority wins. And the strong eats the weak. Can we defend our land if our enemy are billions and we are only millions. HAHAHA.
            For me its a good move for SONY to get rid of that head phone jack.

              • D
              • AnonD-743635
              • Kn8
              • 14 Mar 2018

              Alien , 14 Mar 2018I realize there's a lot more than just the designing part, ... moreTry to send a e-mail to Sony HQ in Minato,Japan with your suggestion (I would tell you the email adress but i can't find none at their support website), tell us after how well it go.

                • D
                • AnonD-743635
                • Kn8
                • 14 Mar 2018

                "In order to create the beautiful seamless design, our designers needed to remove the headphone jack" So having at the bottom the microphone hole and the 10mm x 3 mm hole for the USB-C connector is a seamless design, but having a 3,5mm hole next to it (3 times smaller) ruins everything... I don't know what to say

                  • A
                  • Alien
                  • 3RM
                  • 14 Mar 2018

                  -. -, 14 Mar 2018nope, won't work designing a concept and designing an actu... moreI realize there's a lot more than just the designing part, but wouldn't it be great if you could vote on how the next year's lineup will look like, or at least point out the way the brand should choose?
                  In the past, manufacturers had to release a product to see if it sells or not. Now we have internet in most of the world, people are a lot more connected. This way the client could choose what the brand should make. This would be revolutionary in my point of view.
                  No more drama, no more disappointment and dissatisfaction..

                    • D
                    • AnonD-732843
                    • 3Hk
                    • 14 Mar 2018

                    By removing the 3.5mm headphone jack, Sony is forcing people to live the dongle life in return promoting a experience full of hassles.

                    Of course, there's the option of wireless headphones but don't cry when you hear you got brain cancer or that sort of stuff because radiation is real and more than than enough people use their phones close to their ears/heads so this is just another gimmick, not a wire-free convenience.

                    Not only that, the Y-splitter drops the charge rate to 5V/0.5A which is a joke!

                    1A should be standard by now.. or maybe even 15W as USB-C can support..

                      The XZ2 Compact is now as heavy as some non-compact phones. The Z5C was the last one with the lanyard hole, a life saver for active users. Perhaps a Chinese manufacturer could do a Z5C clone with an SD660 series cpu. I'm sure they would sell more than the Essential phone.

                        • ?
                        • Anonymous
                        • m5k
                        • 14 Mar 2018

                        I don't necessarily hate usb-c headphones, as they take up less space than a headphone jack sticking out of the top/bottom of the phone, but I don't want to have to share/decide whether I charge or listen to music especially when you can do both now. Having a splitter takes up more room than a 3.5mm headphone jack. So for me, I want a phone with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Battery capacity is going up so too is phone thickness, therefore the trend of thin phones is reversing. The XA2 is nearly a cm thick.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • ut@
                          • 14 Mar 2018

                          AnonD-141584, 14 Mar 2018I really don't care about their 'design language'. Stuff th... moreDon't worry. You are far more likely to get ill effects on your health from sunlight, than the non-ionizing radiation of WiFi and Bluetooth.

                            Ironic that the inventor of the Walkman gets rid of the headphone jack.

                              • D
                              • AnonD-607878
                              • LKm
                              • 14 Mar 2018

                              Sony clearly is begging to be ruined by the S9.

                                Sony doesn't need an explanation. Not buying it. Shame, really. I really was looking forward to buying an Xperia smartphone. Will stick to Moto E4 and LG G5. Have everything I need.

                                  • D
                                  • AnonD-732843
                                  • 3Hk
                                  • 14 Mar 2018

                                  Ragna, 14 Mar 2018They should seriously sell the Xperia mobile division. Sony... moreSony's front design is much better than previous gen Xperias. The bezels have shrunk although they're still kind of chunky but nevertheless it's a plus that they've been reduced relative of the current trends.

                                  On the other hand, the rear design is indeed the worst design ever because it looks like a HTC. Also the flash should be below the camera and not next to it. (look at S5/Note4 camera design which is just perfect)

                                  The Note8 and S9's also partially failed on the camera design because if you look at it this way: rotate the Note8's camera, flash, heart sensor & fps clockwise, the dual camera would look like a number 8 therefore corresponding nicely with the Note8 name but Samsung failed to realize that and made it ugly as well as adding the burden of the hard to reach fps.

                                  Finally, the S9's - the FPS has been put in its sacred perfect spot but the flash and heart sensor is lonely on the side when it could be below the camera and above the fps therefore giving a even smaller probability of anyone smudging the camera lens. That's why the S5
                                  & Note4 have the overall best/perfect design of any smartphone ever released.

                                    • D
                                    • AnonD-141584
                                    • 3H9
                                    • 14 Mar 2018

                                    I really don't care about their 'design language'. Stuff their design team.

                                    I want a 3.5mm jack to listen music in car.

                                    I also avoid using Bluetooth, Wifi... as the health effects cell phone radiation are still not full known. I don't want to find out 20 years later, all things were bad for my heath.

                                    I disable Wi-fi on my router, unless I need it. But my neighbours still have their Wi-fi on..... the more we can do minimise the better.

                                    Use a wired internet connection, more reliable and safer.



                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • s5j
                                      • 14 Mar 2018

                                      Sony : no 3.5 mm jack = fail

                                      Can I also remind you

                                      Notch = fail

                                      One more "follow the trend" you are dead

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • srQ
                                        • 14 Mar 2018

                                        And nobody asked Sony 6mm thickness after all, 7-8 mm like current flagships do , could have been okay.