this post was submitted on 14 Dec 2023
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The most recent phone I purchased does not a 3.5mm jack. It wasn't really a decision I realized I was making, as the phone's previous iteration had had it in an era when that wasn't a given.
There have been a few times that I've missed it, not many, certainly fewer than 10 never a huge deal. But that's infinitely more times than I've thought:
Next phone will definitely have one because honestly
Is enough justification to spend $0.25 (if that) for them to integrate a jack. What stupid cost cutting.
It’s not really about the cost of the jack, moreso about the aesthetic and the ability for water to get in, because the 3.5mm barrel jack was never really intended to be on something you’d worry about getting wet. At least not at a time when waterproof ratings were a thing.
You’re talking 163mm^3 of void space inside the phone just for the barrel plug itself, plus the enclosure around it, spring load mechanisms, and housing to sit on the board. A board that also has to change position or shape to accommodate the deep round plug where it can’t exist.
Honestly I’m really surprised phones moved to 3.5mm and didn’t try to team up with laptops to keep 2.5mm the norm on those platforms, or some other plug. Had they stuck with it it probably would’ve won and also made its way to game controllers.
But there’s really no need to when Bluetooth exists and is good enough for the vast majority of consumers, and that’s all that really matters.
I don't mind a phone having one input, for audio and charge/data, it probably is a great choice from a production stand point. It is unfortunate how much less reliable the USB-C physical connection seems to be versus the 3.5mm though. I don't know if it's just me, but every USB-C device I've had eventually gets finicky with the connection, regardless of cable and cleanliness. My phone now using headphones with an adapter, if I move it much it will come loose and pause the playback. The 10+ year old phone I have with a 3.5mm jack though, I can swing it around holding the cord and it stays rock solid connected.
Get a phone case with a dust cover or really clean the hell out of that port.
I was honestly surprised with how aggressive I have to be to scrape out packed lint. Using a toothpick I shaved to be a little fatter.
Now I take my vacuum (Miele) with the dust brush, on high, and go to town on the bottom of my phones like once a week.