Alternatively, if your current phone doesn’t have a headphone jack, do you wish it did?
Why wouldn’t you prefer a headphone jack in your phone? It is yet another option for headphones that worst case you don’t use. The only reason it has been removed is because it saves companies a few cents on the cost to build the product.
They remove it to push people to use bluetooth, on iOS this means you wont disable it permanently and keep Apples tracking network alive. Not that nasty on Android but I suppose the same reasoning
I should have added, that for companies that sell Bluetooth headphones it also helps drive sales for those devices, particularly that is why Apple did it.
Yeah, Apple even bought Beats and immediately let the brand stagnate literally just so they wouldn’t have any competition in the marketing space. That kind of move basically confirms that other moves they did likely had similar rationale.
It’s possible that Apple is actually aiming towards their “portless phone” dream, and this death of the jack was just a step. But I’ll take it for the “we must employ the closest practice to profiteering as we can in the wireless audio space” aspect it appears to have.
I am curious when they want to buy Bose, as they are pretty much the most common headphones people wear around me
More importantly it removes the expectation to include earbuds with the phone as well as allows them to sell you Bluetooth ones
Let’s be honest though, included earbuds were pretty universally garbage and the world is probably better off without the ewaste.
That said, please bring back the headphone jack.
One positive for me about the included earphones is they are great utility earphones for when I’m mixing/mastering music. They have a pretty flat and even response so it’s one of the devices I use to test my music on “regular” sound systems to make sure they sound good on all types of equipment.
That totally depends on what headphones though. Apple’s maybe, I wasn’t really too discerning last time I had some of those, but on Android it was a mess. Samsung had decent ones some years, Google’s were generally okay at best, and LOADS were just actual trash.
Yeah I forgot to mention I was pertaining to the apple wired earphones specifically.
Color me surprised to hear that then. The few times I had used them, I couldn’t get over how uncomfortable they were for my ear (which is why I never used then much)
I’ve always been lambasted for this opinion, but I feel the same way about the charging cable and charger.
I do not want yet another 1 metre (if they’re even that, most likely 3 foot) USB-C cable that barely reaches from the charger on the floor to the bedside table - and largely precludes actually using the phone while in bed - nor particularly the included charger. So many things need to be plugged in these days that single-output chargers are also basically e-waste.
Of course because some business genius had the idea that making the USB cable 0.9 instead of 1.8m saved them $0.06 per unit shipped, we all got lumped with those useless cables.
Now of course there will always be people for whom it’s their first phone (or whatever situation), who do need those accessories. But all that requires is there to be a retail bundle with the now-accessory charger and cable. Preferably that bundle costs the same as the phone with them included does today and you get a token discount for the phone without them, although we all know it would never work that way :(
I’m in the minority on this myself, but I fully agree. Honestly, I don’t even need the discount, tell me I can make a fraction less plastic waste and I’m pretty much there. When I got a new phone a couple years ago, I just put the cable at my desk so I had a spot to plug in misc stuff, but I definitely didn’t need it.
Mostly true, yeah. The “AKG” ones that came with my S8 were honestly pretty damn nice though.
AKG ones were always great. I have a USB C pair from an old Samsung and they’re good too.
Yea I had a pair of those that I used for other phones, until I lost the pair.
I tried getting some “oem” ones from amazon but they weren’t the same
Why wouldn’t you prefer a headphone jack in your phone?
I’ve seen some people literally say that they don’t want a phone with a useless hole in it (in fact, it was said right here on Lemmy not long ago), whereas others claim that not having a headphone jack == bigger battery. Some, like Fairphone fanboys in particular, have gone as far as claiming that removing the headphone jack reduces e-waste…
Some, like Fairphone fanboys in particular, have gone as far as claiming that removing the headphone jack reduces e-waste…
That is a terrible argument for someone to make. There is no way to argue that removing the headphone jack does anything but create more e-waste. First from all the perfectly good wired headphones that are now forced to be replaced, secondly from the fact that Bluetooth headphones all have a shelf life due to the li-ion battery after which they become e-waste. Even with the Fairphone headphones the battery becomes e-waste that wouldn’t exist with wired headphones, cables do wear out too, but replacing that part will have a smaller energy footprint to replace than a battery.
All valid arguments
None of those are valid arguments, especially e-waste. It’s literally the opposite, fairphone is gaslighting.
Just another thing I don’t use that takes up space and can go wrong. Same reason i don’t need it to have a cassette deck or 8-track player.
Oh, cassettes were just designed to go wrong altogether 😆
But while wired headphones are indeed “analog devices” they do not have any mechanical parts moving, so really if you take good care of them they can last a lifetime. (Unlike BT headphones with batteries with approximate estimations of life). 🤒🤕
I never said anything about the headphones. I was referring to the port, which can get gunked up, damaged by water, or all sorts of other stuff. in my many many years of using Bluetooth headphones of all types, I’ve never had a single thing go wrong— and because I am a responsible adult, I’m capable of recharging my batteries.
The era of annoying snags painfully pulling out wired headphones from my ears is a headache I’m very glad to have left behind long ago.
I think the point is more that in seeking to satisfy people like you, they’ve made everyone who likes the more reliable tech SOL.
Personally I love my bt headphones, but I also liked having a wired set for backup in case my battery ran out. If I had a choice between a jack and no jack on an otherwise feature-identical phone I’d choose the jack
I’m capable of keeping my batteries charged and haven’t really run into that problem. I also appreciate having my phone be water resistant and having one last thing to go wrong like getting the port get gunked up from stuff in my pocket. 
As far as reliability goes, I suggest you try some better headphones, because I’ve never had a reliability problem either. 
Drag your preferred option to the top wtf is this UX…
Yeah, I didn’t see that and selected the wrong choice smh
I think it’s supposed to be an option for ranked-choice or something.
I like the simplicity of wired headphones
I like my headphones not to be e-waste after 2-3 years when batteries die
Credit where it’s due, Bluetooth headphones have come a long way. I like the ones I have now. That said, removing the jack and micro SD slots was extremely anti consumer and they should come back.
My issue with BT isn’t quality it’s the cost and the battery. I do have a very nice pair that I enjoy on occasion but I have another set of wired headphones that I use sometimes 12 hours a day at work. BT headphones would quickly wind up in the garbage under those circumstances since batteries are wear items with limited charge cycles and once they go bad, they render the rest of the device useless.
I also don’t like having another device that needs charging or that’ll leave me ‘stranded’ because I wasn’t monitoring the charge close enough and it died.
I don’t think we should be forced to choose one or the other. Both have advantages and we should get a real choice as consumers. Currently I’m limited to low spec’ed phones if I want 3.5mm or high spec’ed with no 3.5mm (and no SD card and no replaceable battery). It’s a shitty choice all around.
Cheap knock off ear pods are getting a lot better. I can get a pair of 20 dollar ear pods that are actually better than name brand wireless ear buds I got a few years ago. When it comes to audio quality they’re better than the audio jack earbuds I have for my tablet and I don’t have ti worry about pulling the cable. Also usbc ear buds never seem to break no matter how much they’re pulled on or chewed on by the cat.
Bluetooth headphones have come a long way
What advancements have been made since Apple removed the headphone jack?
Yeah, I mostly use bluetooth with my phone but not always. Sometimes it’s not possible and you just need to use an aux cable or wired headset.
Opted not to vote because:
- biased leading questions
- strawpoll
deleted by creator
Thanks! It’s quite the balancing act, but good work, you pulled it off tremendously well!
The headphone jack would be less painful of a loss if phone manufacturers started adding a second USB-C port on top of the device. That way you wouldn’t have to choose between charging your phone, listening to your game without lag and in privacy, or carry a dongle to try doing both things at the same time.
I have corded USB type headphones. It’s not a good replacement. The dac is in the connector which makes the portion that sticks out much larger; the port isn’t designed for even mild leverage to be applied to it regularly. Go cycling with your phone in your pocket or even just sit down multiple times with your phone in your pocket while the usbc headphones are plugged in. They will either work their way loose or they will start to break the phone’s port. I’m not even covering how the USB type c spec leaves a lot of room to be interpreted differently by companies, significantly increasing the probability of headphones working for only some phones.
I’m all for the second USB-C, I feel like this is more likely to possibly happen compared to getting the headphone jack back, plus it would just be useful to have in general
It would be a very strange design approach to add an “backup” port. I think there are alreay gaming phones that have it? But for the normal person this seems to be odd.
I would like that we can exchange those ports without removing the display… i had two phones that had broken usb c ports. A good thing we have wireless charging.
Plus, the second usb port can serve as a backup if the main one breaks, and you can also connect more things like keyboards, mice, controllers
Fuck ya. All kinds of uses more then headphones to boot. Extra display, Keyboard, alternate charge port…
Yes but this voting style is uhhh … poop
I don’t actively need a headphone jack on my phone but when I do need one I am annoyed that my phone does not have one.
Yes. It’s my way of voting with my wallet. I already have a few nice headphones and I’m not replacing them just because phone manufacturers are cheap and lazy.
Besides, I hate batteries. They always die at the most inconvenient time. And USB-c just for audio is way overkill.
I use wireless headphones for everything, I have a Bluetooth to aux adapter for my car, and I still won’t give up my headphone jack. It’s so useful when the batteries in those things die, or when you hop in a friend’s car and want to play something without fiddling with Bluetooth pairing.
I’m still mad that all these major manufacturers just blindly followed Apple and took it out.
Prefer headphone jack so I don’t have to charge my headphones. Current phone doesn’t have one and is sad.
I don’t get it. This poll is largely in favor of jacks. I love my Bluetooth buds so much more. No more with I have to deal with broken wires. No more do I have to deal with moving my hand and accidentally snagging the cord, forcing my phone to the floor. No more do I have to deal with the cord creating noise as it rubs against the zipper of my jacket…
good thing is phones already had bluetooth before they started removing the analog headphone jack
it isn’t either or
When my headphones run out of battery, I switch to using the aux cord. The jack also allows me to play backing tracks through my guitar amp via the aux cord. I agree that wireless is superior for everyday use, but there are certain situations where I need the headphone jack.
I cant wear buds. They fall out all the time so I prefer my over ears which have wires.
if you don’t need noise isolation, I switched to bone induction headphones (which are awesome). I can wear buds, but they suck at the gym and are just annoying
Yeah but I don’t want to buy new headphones when I’ve got good, expensive wired headphones already (which I don’t need to recharge).
Response is headphone jack is beyond just the use of the bluetooth buds. My work truck doesn’t have a bluetooth adapter, a $2 cord takes care of the problem. My parents Subaru when I’m driving them around when they visit does have Bluetooth, but gets angry if you try to connect another phone, guess what? Same $2 cord in my truck allows me to connect in. When I’m working a 12 hour day, headset batteries don’t last that long, nor does my phone really. But I can hook up my phone to a battery pack, then have it plug into a speaker by aux, by god it just works.
Bluetooth is fantastic if you go to the same place every day, and every piece of equipment is yours and connected in and auto connects. But those of us that travel it’s nice to have a plugin that just works without playing the “Why is it not recognizing?” game.
Solved with a cigarette lighter powered Bluetooth adapter that’s small enough to pack around. Or you can get aux ones too.
I used to do a ton of travelling too. I haven’t used that jack on my phone in over 10 years.
Even at that, if you’re plugging in a cord to your phone what’s wrong with an adapter? Basically the same thing. Additionally I think you can get ones that allow you to use aux and charge at the same time
nope, actually never used it. i’ve had and will continue having Bluetooth headphones
Once you get decent Bluetooth headphones it’s a game changer, especially since consoles are starting to support them
especially since consoles are starting to support them
Are they? I thought the BT lag made them not fit for gaming. That’s the reason why Sony’s Pulse 3D headset for PS5 uses wifi. I haven’t tested any of this, I’m just repeating what I read.
There are low latency codecs available
I connect my bose nc700 with an audio cable to my controler and it works fine. I thought PS5 doesnt support other BT headsets, but i guess i should check.
I use both.
Bluetooth can be convenient but also can be the opposite. On long travel days I don’t want to have to worry about battery life, and I always inevitably run into issues with cutting in and out, which I find extremely annoying
How long do you travel? I have In Ears and Over Ears with BT and both have battery time over 20hours. And i can also charge them in their cases.
No. Not at all.
Honestly, I hated the wire part of my wired headphones for years. I tend to listen to things while I’m doing chores around the house and I can’t tell you the amount of times the cable caught on something and sent my earbuds or my phone careening to the floor. Or was forced to untangle myself from a door knob. Or forgot I had earbuds on and stood up from my desk only to throw my phone to the ground.
I went on a bit of a journey with bt headphones but eventually got a pair of Sony Linkbuds and a $30 Bluetooth thingy for my car that plugs into the aux jack, and never looked back. Every other day I plug the case in on my nightstand along with my phone. Nbd. Linkbuds don’t have the best sound quality I’ve ever experienced in BT buds, but the comfort wins over all others.
I also recently got a pair of PineBuds Pro for $70 and man that battery case is legit. I only have to charge that beast once a week. Just waiting on someone to release a better sound profile for those things because they are BAASSSY. But beyond the bass, the potential sound quality is actually quite good. I’m looking forward to what the pine64 community does with these.
I’ll also say that I have audiophile hearing (I’ve been tested) and I absolutely hear the difference in sound quality using BT and a good set of cans - when it comes to earbuds, the difference is negligible between wired and wireless. Given that 1. I’m more often listening to words than music from my phone and 2. The convenience, I’ll go for wireless more often than not if given the option. Plus, outside of niche phones and defunct LG phones, I never saw a headphone jack that could properly drive a good set of cans. There are way more output devices I would choose over a phone to drive high quality audio.
That all said, do I think manufacturers should remove the headphone jack? No. Apple did it to sell more airpods. Everyone else did it to save a nickle on their costs. Just because I don’t use it doesn’t mean it should go away. If anything, there’s an accessibility element. BT buds are expensive. USB-C / Lightning buds are expensive. Aux buds are cheap. And wired buds are the easiest and cheapest way for someone to get audio out of a phone or talk on the phobe without fucking holding it in the air to broadcast their conversation to the world. And for that reason, I think the jack should ABSOLUTELY come back.
I’m fine with bt 90% of the time, but every so often I forget to charge my earbuds and wish i could use wired.
Given the relatively low cost, I’d prefer having a headphone jack around, even if I only use it once every 2 months.
Yes, it goes well with my bluetooth/wired headphones, so even if the headphone’s battery is low, I can still use it to listen to music.
