(Posting this here rather than !askandroid@lemdro.id as it’s a quite general question)
I had a look at the GSM Arena phone finder, and it the choice is getting smaller and smaller every year (only 43 phones from 2023, reviewed by the site, had a jack)
The remaining ones are mostly
- Xiaomi Redmi
- Zenfones
- Sony
- Samsung entry range
So, has everyone switched to Bluetooth / USB-C dongles, or are there still a few people holding to the jack until the very end?
I’ll die alone on this headphone jack hill if I need to, I only buy phones with headphone jacks.
Currently using a Motorola of some sort, replacement for another Motorola.
Likely sound like cranky old man but I’ll be catching phones with a jack as long as I can! Not mad about having the option for wireless, but I’m a bit of a purist.
Plus once in a blue moon I’ll DJ without Wi-Fi and use the phone to pull up a tune I don’t have in my physical storage. Much harder to do that without 3.5mm jack.
Which phone do you use?
Still on a pretty old Galaxy 9, been putting off the upgrade forever. Not even sure what the cool kids are using these days. Need to hit that research phase a bit
No jack = no buy.
What do you currently use?
One of the one plus that tmobile gave when they required 5g capability. It’s partially degoogled, but otherwise pretty standard. Headphone jack + sd slot, and it gets the job done. I can’t recall what the general name is, something like a nord 200 or whatever, but the model is de2118.
Decent phone overall tbh. I thought I would hate it, but the battery life is solid, the audio is “good enough” for road trips, and the size is just right for my hands.
yes, audio jack is an important differentiator for me when I’m buying new phone
Which phone do you use at the moment?
Moto G23
I had to give up removable batteries in phones but I will never give up 3.5 mm.
Which phone do you use?
Moto G7+, its old and wouldn’t recommend seeking one out.
Thanks!
I’ve given up on it. While I think it was silly to remove, I’ve come to find it just as silly to be so attached to a cable. Bluetooth and USBC headphones have worked just fine for me.
Yeah I’m a bit salty that it’s gone, but I’ve actually found using Bluetooth earbuds to be a way better experience. I’m no longer snagging a cable on everything and ripping them out of my ears. Maybe I’m just a clumsy idiot, but I did this all the time with wired headphones.
One thing that Bluetooth headphones still suck for is gaming. The lag is too obnoxious. So I have a pair of headphones that can convert to wired for that purpose. I don’t game on my phone so that part is a non-issue for me.
You can also get a decent pair at a relatively inexpensive price nowadays. It used to be crazy expensive to jump in, but there are a lot of cheaper ones out there nowadays that still offer great sound.
Edit: I saw a commenter complain about the lag when watching videos. This doesn’t happen for me. I’m not sure if the tech is in my phone itself or in my headphones (I have two different pairs from different companies), but there is some sort of processing that goes on that makes it so the audio and video are synced, no matter if I’m watching a local video on my phone or a YouTube video. I can even manually adjust it with a “Bluetooth metronome” setting/app, but I’ve never needed to manually adjust it. For me, lag only happens when playing video games.
Only With the 3.5 mm audio jack. Bluetooth devices always have some delay, never are immune from connection problems or intermittent readback (especially if you have other devices you switch between), and don’t last as long as they advertise. The delay thing is particularly irksome on the phone and watching videos. Much less important for music, but I’m not the kinda guy who plays music a lot. The battery thing is probably less of an issue these days, and could maybe be discarded, but I also forget to charge important devices, so that’s a me thing and party of the reason.
Agree on most of your your points. Which phone do you use?
The No-Longer-Supported LG G7 ThinQ. Not upgrading until it blows up in my pocket.
My hill is the microsd card slot. I might have to figure out how to make my note 20 ultra last another 40 years, though. :-(
On another note; if compatible, APTX Bluetooth codec is pretty lag free when watching streaming videos. For local videos, there is a bit of noticeable lag on a lot of players, but I use VLC and it has an audio/video sync setting you can manually adjust so it matches up correctly and it will forever save that setup for you.
I exclusively use phones with a 3.5mm jack. Currently on a Sony Xperia 1 IV. That said, I also use bluetooth IEMs sometimes and I like having the option of switching between wired/wireless when convenient.
No, I stopped using it once I got wireless headphones. I hated hearing the cord brushing against my clothes while moving.
Yeah, once I made the switch to wireless earbuds, I didn’t miss the jack at all. People have valid complaints about them, like the price and the limited battery, but I think the convenience is worth it.
You realize phones with headphone jacks ALSO have Bluetooth, right?
Why would he buy a phone with headphones jack, when the selection of phones is so shitty. And he is not even using the jack?
I exclusively use phones with headphone jacks. Using GNU/Linux mobile more to get longer software security updates where needed/possible. All GNU/Linux native phones have headphone jacks.
Which phone do you use at the moment?
I have a Note9 I just did a battery & screen replacement on, a Key2 that had not been used until a year ago (so still has great battery life), and a newish Librem5. Most other phones, e.g. those mid-range Samsung’s, or phones without headphone jacks feel like sidegrades rather than upgrades.
They’re all 4G though; both Android model variants are unrootable, and of course behind on their security updates. Next phone would need to be 5G, and ideally allow longer security updates, or allow Mobian + Waydroid install. Maybe one of the Asus ones. Honestly wish Fairphone had kept it or brings it back; they’re missing out on a big segment of customers that would be a good match.
To afford an out of carrier phone, just dipped down to a cheaper plan that still meets my needs.
I used to hate Bluetooth, but that’s because the early versions were terrible. Painful to connect, frequent drops and disconnects, and very short range and easy to block the signal.
Since Bluetooth 4 it’s been great, and rock solid with Bluetooth 5. The only time I’ve had a problem is when I went into the other room and stood directly in front of a running microwave. I lost about half the signal until I took a step back.
Wireless headphones are far more convenient. Phone in my pocket, and I can walk around, clean the house, or work out at the gym, completely untethered.
Yeah I absolutely do not miss snagging my headphone cable on every door or drawer handle in a 1 mine radius. Also I think I used to go through 3-4 sets of headphones a year by wearing out the cable, spending the last few weeks precariously holding the cable 24/7 to enjoy the music.
Wireless does have it’s issues but I’m on my 2nd wireless pair, both bought in the £30 region and it’s probably been 5+ years since I used wired now. Battery hasn’t been an issue really, and although I lost one headphone on my previous wireless set, I can live with it.
I absolutely support the want for a headphone jack so people can choose wired, but I’d still choose wireless.
I bought a Sony Xperia 10iii back in December 2022 for the headphone jack, SD card slot and IP rating. Plus it’s Sony and one of my all time best phones was my Xperia Z2.
When it comes time to replace it I will first look to see which phone offers a jack. I use it several times a week.
However the downside is that the only premium phones with it are Sony but very expensive. I can’t afford a 5v when though I’d love it.
If you get a midrange phone you always lose out on a great camera. Which is crappy. So you have to choose between headphone jack with poor cameras Vs no headphone jack with good cameras.
Or somehow get enough money together to buy an Xperia 5v.
Ps don’t bother with ZenFone. Asus is known for poor quality and very, very bad support
Or somehow get enough money together to buy an Xperia 5v.
Ps don’t bother with ZenFone. Asus is known for poor quality and very, very bad support
Thank you for your message.
Xperia 5 V looks indeed a very nice option on paper, but definitely pricey.
Thanks for the heads up on Zenfones
I wouldnt buy a phone without it. Currently on Pocophone M5, happy user
I’ll only buy a phone with an audio jack and usbc port.
I think of my phone like a swiss army knife, it’s a multi tool that I carry with me at all times and can be used for many different things. I like using wireless headphones and I usually connect via bluetooth but on the occasion that I need to plug a headset into my phone I am able to quickly and easily do that with no extra thought.
Why would I buy a new phone that has less features than my current phone?
Which phone do you currently use?
Samsung s10
Thanks
Why would I buy a new phone that has less features…?
Because of all those time you need to take a picture of your feet underwater!
I was already using bluetooth headsets when they removed it so really didn’t care.
