Audio jack, 3.5mm port or phone hole: there are many names for the 3.5mm phone output that you use to connect wired earbuds. In 2016 wrote on Facebook astonished that there was a Chinese smartphone supplier that presented a phone without this exit. A little crazy, but it turned out to be a trendsetter. Some don’t miss it, but there are people who search their phone for the presence of this little thing. These are the pros and cons of an audio jack.
Pro: your earbuds last longer
You can argue about how often people get stuck with their wired earbuds and they break, but earbuds that don’t require charging will theoretically last longer. They don’t have a battery that wears out and if you handle them carefully, they will last you many more years than their wireless counterparts.
Con: The phone design is less slick
One of the main reasons for many manufacturers to 3,5 millimeterport ban, that’s for design reasons. If you want to make a modern device with rounded corners, the conclusion is quickly that the audio jack is in the way. Without this connection, the smartphone can also be made thinner. It lies much more comfortably in the hand due to its rounded, smooth edges.
Pro: You can always use your earbuds
Handy that you can’t get tangled in the wire when using wireless earbuds, but you do have to charge them. Many copies are ready within ten minutes for at least an hour of listening pleasure, but then you have to have a charger (or full charging case) nearby. Wired earbuds you can always use. You also don’t have to pair them with your phone first: you plug them in and you’re ready to listen.
Con: the phone is less waterproof and dustproof
A phone’s IP rating is important. The higher the numbers of an IP rating, the more resistant the smartphone is to water and dust. Some phones can even be submerged a meter under water for a while, while others get hiccups from just a few splashes. That 3.5 millimeter port is not conducive to the IP rating, because this is a hole in the smartphone. It is not impossible to make a smartphone with this output waterproof, but it is of course less risky not to add it.
Pro: you keep the audio quality better
There is a reason that many gamers still prefer to play with a wired mouse instead of a wireless variant. The information is transmitted by a cable just a little faster than by air. The same goes for earplugs. If you want to listen to the music in the best possible quality, you will benefit from the wire. With Bluetooth you have faster quality loss that you do not have with wired earbuds or headphones. Of course, it depends on the material you use: a headset of 10 euros with wire will of course not compete with Bluetooth earplugs of 100 euros or more in terms of audio experience.
Con: the battery life of your smartphone is less
We already mentioned some advantages in terms of design on the outside, but also think about the inside. No audio jack means more room for other things, like a battery. With our large screens, we need more powerful batteries. What helps is if the battery can be as large as possible. If telephone designers do not have to take into account a sudden inlet in the form of an audio jack, there is more room for the battery, for example. This ultimately results in a better battery life.
There is a caveat to this article. There are also ‘tails’ available for your smartphone. This allows you to use the USB-C port of your phone in combination with wired earplugs, because you have an adapter plug for it. That way you can still use wired earplugs or a wired headphones without using the 3.5 millimeter port. The disadvantage is that you have to purchase that ‘tail’ separately and that you have to carry it with you.
USB-C-port
Ultimately, the USB-C port has already beaten the audio jack on many phones. That’s because the port is multi-deployable. You can still connect wired headphones or earbuds with it, while you can also charge your phone with it. Not at the same time, which is a small disadvantage, unless your phone can charge wirelessly. In short, there are many variables and therefore many choices when it comes to that audio jack. Which pros and cons weigh the most for you depends on what type of phone user you are. Do you often cycle in the rain, are you an audiophile? Those two things alone make a world of difference when choosing a phone with or without a 3.5 millimeter port.
Does your phone have a 3.5 millimeter port? Was that a conscious choice? Leave your audio jack preference in the comments.
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