Flashback: the headphone jack has been around for over 100 years, still has a place on phones

15 March 2020
The simple 3.5mm plug is a jack of all trades, if you'll pardon the pun. It handles music and call, acts as an FM antenna and even a TV out port.

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  • NoBot
  • MB{
  • 20 Feb 2023

Quetzalcoatlus, 05 Sep 2022Was the headphone jack stopping you from using wireless hea... moreWireless phones are a flagship example how consumer susceptibility for convenience is hijacked to enforce a whole new business opportunity. Wireless is a digital signal chain start to end, with all the benefits of controlling this chain, be it in terms of licensing (DRM included) or how 3rd party devices perform on the phone/tablet. It's not by chance that phone manufacturers launched their wireless headphone product lines in the same generation they also dropped the headphone jack.
And consumer typically don't realise that they traded in convenience with worse acoustical quality, being forced to switch on blue tooth (say hello to "Airtags"), and obsolesence if the batteries are eventually dead. So much fun...

    • Q
    • Quetzalcoatlus
    • nDZ
    • 05 Sep 2022

    AnonD-731363, 03 Jul 2022Glad the jack is gone wireless is the future it always was. Was the headphone jack stopping you from using wireless headphones? 🤣🤣🤣

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • 7kp
      • 17 Jul 2022

      AnonD-731363, 03 Jul 2022Glad the jack is gone wireless is the future it always was. wired>>wireless

        • D
        • AnonD-731363
        • SH3
        • 03 Jul 2022

        Glad the jack is gone wireless is the future it always was.

          • D
          • AnonD-1046991
          • G}R
          • 18 Jun 2022

          Listening music or FM/AM without jack is a actrocious action

            • E
            • EDx
            • avf
            • 20 Aug 2021

            Getting rid of the headphone jack is one of the worst mistakes the mobile phone industry has made.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • nm7
              • 17 May 2021

              Don't forget to mention the Pentaconn 4.4 mm TRRRS balanced connector

                • D
                • AnonD-731363
                • SH3
                • 23 Dec 2020

                A7sii, 20 Dec 2020Wireless is the future...right because I want everything to... moreMan just because a thorium fuel cells havent been researched and find a good way to use it doesnt means we have to rely on batteries.
                Soon or later we will be able to use thorium cells in any device and we will not need to charge anymore because thorium is one of few materials than can naturaly regenerate in a certain conditions.
                But thats a long story.

                Once you have a batteries which can charge its sells and charge faster than energy is consumed batteries wont be a problem anymore.

                  • D
                  • AnonD-731363
                  • SH3
                  • 23 Dec 2020

                  A7sii, 20 Dec 2020Well, it's a Yes for me and many other people..No jack... moreMan in current wireless like era jack is pointless.
                  Many wireless audio are far better than wired ones.
                  And the many exceptions are so expensive not many can afford.

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                    • A7sii
                    • 80i
                    • 20 Dec 2020

                    AnonD-731363, 12 Oct 2020Oh man. Jack is an very usefull technology for a right devi... moreWireless is the future...right because I want everything to have batteries. So i can keep charging them for no good reason. Lol gtfo!

                      • A
                      • A7sii
                      • 80i
                      • 20 Dec 2020

                      AnonD-731363, 13 Oct 2020Well yes. Still jack is no for me and for many other people. Well, it's a Yes for me and many other people..No jack No buy!

                        • D
                        • AnonD-731363
                        • SH3
                        • 13 Oct 2020

                        Anonymous, 12 Oct 20204 months later and this silly opinion about tech that obvio... moreWell yes.
                        Still jack is no for me and for many other people.

                          • A
                          • Anonymous
                          • 61}
                          • 12 Oct 2020

                          AnonD-731363, 12 Oct 2020Oh man. Jack is an very usefull technology for a right devi... more4 months later and this silly opinion about tech that obviously wrong is still popping out on a comment section of this 7 months old article.

                            • D
                            • AnonD-731363
                            • SH3
                            • 12 Oct 2020

                            Oh man. Jack is an very usefull technology for a right device but in a cell phone it was huge fail ever since.
                            Wireless technology is the future and it always was.
                            I do understand some things cant be run wirelessly but jack is obsolette and creepy.

                              Kangal, 20 Mar 2020After careful consideration, I decided to repost my comment... moreHere's an update:

                              After careful consideration, I truly think the BEST phone, is the one that's actually in one of three categories. And it is up to the user, to decide which category/personality they are, and hence which device suits their usecase, wants, needs best. My analogy is to cars, as it is pretty on point.

                              -Think of one of these "Best Category" as like a Porsche 911.... its sleek, beautiful, fast, but uncomfortable to sit and lacks many features. Yet it is the dream car for some people.
                              -For others the "Best Category" is the Jeep Wrangler, its tough, solid, easy to service but the ride is noisy and parking can be difficult. Basically the polar-opposite to the Porsche. That's the dream car of some people, especially that want to "drive it till it dies/keep this for life" attitude.
                              -Then somewhere in-between as "Best Category" there's the Subaru Forester. It's not quite rugged but not quite sleek, but it drives comfortably and parks easily. For others, this is their best car, it ticks the essential boxes and isn't being pretentious.

                              Device One: (JEEP) Rugged, with Maximum Features
                              200 grams and 119 x 81 x 9.1mm dimensions
                              5.11 inch screen size (106 x 75mm)
                              A7-paper sized aspect ratio 12.7:9 (like IMAX/Old TV)
                              82.40% Screen to Body ratio (Slim bezels)
                              2048 x 1448 (491 ppi) RGBW LCD-IPS (no burn-in)
                              60Hz Refresh Rate (much better battery life)
                              +1,000 nits HDR10+ enabled
                              Display Square Corners
                              Uni-symmetrical design (10mm forehead, 3mm bottom)
                              Symmetrical Left-Right Thin Bezels (3mm each)
                              Sensors and Large Selfie inside the forehead bezel
                              Front-firing boom monospeaker (doubles as earpiece)
                              Side-mounted fingerprint scanner (with HR-BP monitor)
                              Power button, plus three programmable buttons
                              Single Large camera (attachable lenses for ultrawide, macro, zoom)
                              DualSIM, microSD slot, and IrDa blaster
                              ThunderBolt-3 port, and QuadDAC 3.5mm Headphone Jack
                              Best Support for External Dock, Charging, HDMI, Ethernet, Aux, and Host-OTG
                              Modularity with Rear-Pogo pins (magnetically snaps on, keyboard or gamepad)
                              Rugged marketing photographs
                              Padded corner and Non-slip Textured exterior overall (no case!)
                              Thick (9.1mm) phone body (front, side, back)
                              Sideframe of Aluminium
                              Frontplate of Gorilla Glass 6
                              Backplate of Aerospace-grade Polycarbonate (tough and shock-absorbing)
                              Protection via Flat Tempered Glass for front, no protection required for rear (3M Skin)
                              Non-submersible (IP66) Splash resistance
                              5,119mAh User Removable battery
                              Healthy-Battery Charging (20W)
                              Regular Density Internals, Modular Design (Screen, Camera, Speaker, USB/3.5mm Ports)
                              Jolla SailFish OS (but can flash Android or Alternate OS)
                              Probably retails for USD $719 ??

                              Device Two: (Subaru) Reliable, with Balanced Practicality
                              180 grams and 145 x 80 x 8.0mm dimensions
                              6.02 inch screen size (133 x 75mm)
                              Aspect ratio 16:9 (like YouTube/New TV)
                              86.00% Screen to Body ratio (Thin bezels)
                              2560 x 1440p (488 ppi) IGZO (most accurate)
                              120Hz Refresh Rate (fluid animations)
                              1,000 nits HDR10 supported
                              Display Rounded Corners
                              Semi-Symmetrical Top-Bottom Slim Bezels (6mm each)
                              Symmetrical Left-Right Thin Bezels (2.5mm each)
                              Sensors and Regular Selfie embedded inside bezels
                              Front-firing stereo loudspeakers
                              Standard Rear fingerprint sensor
                              Symmetrical/Reversible side buttons (Power, Volume Up, Volume Down, Camera)
                              Double Main camera (symmetrical, can create 3D-recordings)
                              NanoSIM, microSD slot, no IrDa blaster
                              USB 3.1-TypeC, and Regular 3.5mm Headphone Jack
                              Standard Support for HDMI, Host-OTG, and Connections
                              Handheld Console with dedicated JoyCon physical attachment (pocketable gamepad)
                              Standard marketing renders
                              Matte and chamfered exterior overall
                              Regular (8mm) phone body (front, side, back)
                              Sideframe of Stainless Steel
                              Frontplate of Gorilla Glass 6
                              Backplate of Anodised Aluminium (scratch-resistant 7000-series)
                              Protection via 2.5D Tempered Glass for front, optional Bumper Case for back
                              Submersible IP68 shallow waterproofing
                              4,800mAh non-removable battery (refurbishable/screwed in)
                              Balanced Fast Charging (30W)
                              High Density Internals, Semi-Modular Design (Screen, USB port, etc etc)
                              Stock AndroidOne OS (Custom ROM ready)
                              Probably retails for USD $800 ??

                              Device Three: (porsche) Futuristic, with Maximum Style
                              179 grams and 179 x 79 x 7.9mm dimensions
                              7.49 inch screen size (175 x 75mm)
                              Aspect ratio 21:9 (like Cinema/Movies)
                              92.50% Screen to Body ratio (No bezels)
                              5040 x 2160 (732 ppi) Pentile SAM-OLED (deepest blacks)
                              144Hz Active Sync display (smoothest animation)
                              794 nits Mobile-HDR compatible
                              Display Rounded Corners
                              Almost No Bezels on Top-Bottom (2mm each)
                              Almost No Bezels Left-Right Sides (2mm each)
                              Underscreen dual selfie camera
                              Vibrational Face Mono Speaker
                              Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
                              No buttons, minimalistic sides
                              Triple rear camera (ultrawide, regular, zoom)
                              eSIM, no microSD, no IrDa blaster
                              USB 3.0-TypeC, but NO Headphone Jack
                              Limited Support for Video out, OTG, and Connections
                              Home Console via Xbox One controller connection (needs purse/backpack, not pocketable)
                              Styled marketing renders
                              Shiny and curved exterior overall
                              Sideframe of Titanium Alloy
                              Frontplate of transparent flat plastic (shockproof)
                              Backplate of transparent flat plastic (shockproof)
                              Thin (6mm) phone body (front to back), with thick (8mm) sideframe
                              Protection via 2.5D Curved Tempered Glass for back and front
                              Enhanced IP69 (ATM 5) waterproofing
                              4,179mAh non-removable battery (glued in)
                              Convenient Super Fast Charging (60W)
                              Maximum Density Internals, monolithic design (non-refurbishable)
                              Skinned FlymeOS Android (unlockable bootloader)
                              Probably retails for USD $947 ??

                              I suggest you compare each device line-by-line, to note the subtle and extreme changes. Let me know if you want any renders. And please REPLY BACK with which option YOU prefer from the three categories, cheers! : )

                                taghack, 16 Mar 2020Hi, First off, thank you for voicing your concerns. We try... moreHi,
                                Since you said you can test audio output any time, could you please re-start the testing, ONLY for those phones which have 3.5mm jack?
                                I believe this will be convenient to all.

                                  3.5mm jack or wireless!? If phone maker provide both in better quality, then why should you complain!? Fussy this and that, pick out both lacks, smart user won't do that, they will enjoy both of it on their lifestyle and peace in minds.

                                    Kangal, 17 Mar 2020Read the comments section here. Clearly people want an all... moreAfter careful consideration, I decided to repost my comment. I think it is fruitless to argue with others about what constitutes the BEST phone or best features. Some prefer as many features as possible. Others want a more lean and curated experience. And there's also a subset that wants a balanced approach to compromises to champion practicality. Reply back with what option YOU prefer from the three below:

                                    Device One: (JEEP) Rugged, with Maximum Features
                                    200 grams and 121 x 81 x 9.1mm dimensions
                                    5.32 inch screen, A4 aspect ratio 12.7:9 (like IMAX/Old TV)
                                    2048 x 1448 RGBW LCD-IPS (no burn-in)
                                    60Hz Refresh Rate (much better battery life)
                                    +1,000 nits HDR10+ enabled
                                    Display Square Corners
                                    Uni-symmetrical design (10mm forehead)
                                    Sensors and Large Selfie inside the forehead bezel
                                    Front-firing boom monospeaker (doubles as earpiece)
                                    Side-mounted fingerprint scanner (with HR-BP monitor)
                                    Power button, plus three programmable buttons
                                    Single Large camera (attachable lenses for ultrawide, macro, zoom)
                                    DualSIM, microSD slot, and IrDa blaster
                                    ThunderBolt-3 port, and QuadDAC 3.5mm Headphone Jack
                                    Best Support for External Dock, Charging, HDMI, Ethernet, Aux, and Host-OTG
                                    Modularity with Rear-Pogo pins (magnetically snaps on, keyboard or gamepad)
                                    Rugged marketing photographs
                                    Padded corner and Non-slip Textured exterior overall (no case!)
                                    Thick (9.1mm) phone body (front, side, back)
                                    Sideframe of Aluminium
                                    Frontplate of Gorilla Glass 6
                                    Backplate of Aerospace-grade Polycarbonate (tough and shock-absorbing)
                                    Protection via Flat Tempered Glass for front, no protection required for rear (3M Skin)
                                    Non-submersible (IP66) Splash resistance
                                    5,321mAh User Removable battery
                                    Healthy-Battery Charging (20W)
                                    Regular Density Internals, Modular Design (Screen, Camera, Speaker, USB/3.5mm Ports)
                                    Jolla SailFish OS (but can flash Android or alternate OS)
                                    Probably retails for USD $799 ??

                                    Device Two: (Subaru) Reliable, with Balanced Practicality
                                    180 grams and 150 x 80 x 8.0mm dimensions
                                    6.10 inch screen, aspect ratio 16:9 (like YouTube/New TV)
                                    1440p-IGZO (most accurate)
                                    120Hz Refresh Rate (fluid animations)
                                    1,000 nits HDR10 supported
                                    Display Rounded Corners
                                    Symmetrical Top-Bottom Slim Bezels (8mm)
                                    Sensors and Regular Selfie embedded inside bezels
                                    Front-firing stereo loudspeakers
                                    Standard Rear fingerprint sensor
                                    Symmetrical/Reversible side buttons (Power, Volume Up, Volume Down, Camera)
                                    Double Main camera (symmetrical, can create 3D-recordings)
                                    NanoSIM, microSD slot, no IrDa blaster
                                    USB 3.1-TypeC, and Regular 3.5mm Headphone Jack
                                    Standard Support for HDMI, Host-OTG, and Connections
                                    Handheld Console with dedicated JoyCon physical attachment (pocketable gamepad)
                                    Standard marketing renders
                                    Matte and chamfered exterior overall
                                    Regular (8mm) phone body (front, side, back)
                                    Sideframe of Stainless Steel
                                    Frontplate of Gorilla Glass 6
                                    Backplate of Anodised Aluminium (scratch-resistant 7000-series)
                                    Protection via 2.5D Tempered Glass for front, optional Bumper Case for back
                                    Submersible IP68 shallow waterproofing
                                    4,800mAh non-removable battery (refurbishable/screwed in)
                                    Balanced Fast Charging (30W)
                                    High Density Internals, Semi-Modular Design (Screen, USB port, etc etc)
                                    Skinned FlymeOS Android (unlockable bootloader)
                                    Probably retails for USD $800 ??

                                    Device Three: (porsche) Futuristic, with Maximum Style
                                    179 grams and 179 x 79 x 7.9mm dimensions
                                    7.49 inch screen, aspect ratio 21:9 (like Cinema/Movies)
                                    4K-Pentile SAM-OLED (deepest blacks)
                                    144Hz Active Sync display (smoothest animation)
                                    794 nits Mobile-HDR compatible
                                    Display Rounded Corners
                                    Almost No Bezels (2mm each side)
                                    Underscreen dual selfie camera
                                    Vibrational Face Mono Speaker
                                    Ultrasonic fingerprint scanner
                                    No buttons, minimalistic sides
                                    Triple rear camera (ultrawide, regular, zoom)
                                    eSIM, no microSD, no IrDa blaster
                                    USB 3.0-TypeC, but NO Headphone Jack
                                    Limited Support for Video out, OTG, and Connections
                                    Home Console via Xbox One controller connection (needs purse/backpack, not pocketable)
                                    Styled marketing renders
                                    Shiny and curved exterior overall
                                    Sideframe of Titanium Alloy
                                    Frontplate of transparent flat plastic (shockproof)
                                    Backplate of transparent flat plastic (shockproof)
                                    Thin (6mm) phone body (front to back), with thick (8mm) sideframe
                                    Protection via 2.5D Curved Tempered Glass for back and front
                                    Enhanced IP69 (ATM 5) waterproofing
                                    4,179mAh non-removable battery (glued in)
                                    Convenient Super Fast Charging (60W)
                                    Maximum Density Internals, monolithic design (non-refurbishable)
                                    Stock AndroidOne OS (locked bootloader)
                                    Probably retails for USD $947 ??

                                      Samath N8 808 owner, 18 Mar 2020Firstly, thank you so much for the reply. I've read each ... moreThey never did adequate measuring nor had a equipment for it. Everything with SINAD over 100 dB is considered as that's only measurable with equipment & perhaps in critical listening. Coloring (also considerd as deviation and distortion even) along with output straight (in mV) is something you can hear easily. It's not per se because of use of this or that component but because of electrical & magnetic interfaces along the path. The OP Amp's are the best example of this. Its reason often would thicker body aluminium "flagship" & even more so glass sandwich one sound better than budget tin non sandwich one with same hardware. PCB quality also plays role & cetera & cetera. Hopefully graphite synthetic thin sheets will enter smartphones more frequently for cooling purposes and also help with sound quality as they are also a great shielding.

                                        taghack, 16 Mar 2020Hi, First off, thank you for voicing your concerns. We try... moreFirstly, thank you so much for the reply.
                                        I've read each line of the explanation earlier and I even replied to it, but I understand that with the barrage of comments from readers, it went unnoticed.

                                        I'll repeat my reply here, please give it a read:- You said that the difference between the best and the worst is measurable only with lab equipment. I humbly believe this statement is inaccurate.
                                        I own a Redmi 2 Prime which excels at audio output. I also tested Redmi Note 7 Pro at Mi Store.
                                        The test track was a treble and vocal rich Japanese pop song "No. 1"... Another which I tested was "Video" From the 80's movie, Electric Dreams.
                                        The pair of earphones was the same, Mi HD Earphones.

                                        There was a noteable difference in quality.
                                        Note 7 Pro had some sort of distortion, all I knew was that the output was worse. Dynamic range was there, loud and soft together, but it wasn't fun listening to the treble elements. I tried it back to back with Redmi 2.
                                        I would say RN7Pro was acceptable quality, not bad by any means. Similar to it was Redmi Note 6 Pro.

                                        So, differences are noticeable. You see, those who've had LG and Samsung flagships, they're more likely to notice the quality drop, (on their favourite songs only though) when they change phones.

                                        Lastly, I would request you to test jack audio quality, for ONLY those phones which have 3.5mm jack present. That is likely to be easy & multi-beneficial for all...
                                        Because an audio fan won't even think of a phone without jack.

                                        Do let me know what you think of this idea. Thanks again.

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