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Why my next phone doesn’t need to have a headphone jack
June 24, 2025
It’s been a few years since Apple callouslyditched the headphone jack, and since then, competitors have eagerly followed. It’s no longer blasphemous to see a smartphone release sans-headphone jack, a trend that has pressured consumers to embrace thetrue wirelessepoch. While I still champion wired audio quality over wireless, the fact of the matter is thatBluetoothplayback is good enough for my day-to-day purposes. Even still, that doesn’t pardon companies from engineering this audio crisis.
On-the-go audio serves a purpose
While mySamsung Galaxy S10ehas a headphone jack, you’re unlikely to catch me in the urban sprawl with awired headset. Instead, I always carrywireless earbudsbut not as a means of enjoying music, per say. Earbuds plainly serve as a distraction from the sounds of construction and noisy passersby.
As much as I’ve lamented and continue to lament companies’excusesfor omitting the 3.5mm input, the convenience of wireless earbuds is undeniable. When boarding the CTA, I’m quick to sacrifice sound quality for total wireless listening; I’ll happily forgo a moment of appreciating a vocalist’s vibrato if it means avoiding a cable snag on a stranger’s backpack. While the option to run a cable under my coat remains, it seems a cumbersome process when so manycheap wireless earbudsare available.
Just like everyone else, all I want when running errands is to ignore fellow pedestrians in peace. True wireless and wireless earbuds make this much easier than wired ones, hence why I opt for untethered listening when exiting the apartment.
Isn’t Bluetooth audio quality worse than wired?
Headphone jack advocates argue that sound quality suffers when streaming over Bluetooth compared to a wired connection. It’s true that the bestBluetooth codecscan’t yet achieve the same fidelity as wired alternatives, but that doesn’t matter much when there are greater concerns likeauditory masking. This phenomenon is when a loud noise (e.g. passing train) makes it difficult to hear a quiet noise (e.g. your music).
Regardless of what classification of earbuds you use, aproper fitis imperative: perceivedmusic quality degradeswhen loud noises mask your music. It makes sense. Hearing potential threats, like a water buffalo’s charge, was once important for survival. This was a very different time, though, as cave paintings also happened to be considered a viable form of entertainment. Suffice to say, times have changed but human auditory processing has not.
The long and the short of it is this: fit first, everything else second — assuming you’re looking for the best sound quality. Many of us don’t set aside time to experiment with the array of wing orear tipsincluded with a pair of earbuds. Doing so improves audio quality more than a high-quality Bluetooth codec, especially considering how many of us don’t have sensitive enough hearing todiscern a difference. Plus, certain codecs areunreliablewith Android OS.
Home is for the headphone jack
When at home, listening to music becomes a deliberate activity that engages all of my focus. I use wiredopen-back headphonesand plug them into my computer’s 3.5mm input. Since I’m in a quiet, controlled environment, I don’t worry about convenience or auditory masking. I can take my sweet southern time setting up my headphones, and even anamplifierif I really want to dress things up. For me, listening to music on-the-go is functional, but listening at home is an experience worth savoring.
Companies should still include a headphone port
At a basic level, we consumers should have choice when buying smartphones. The smartphone market was once rife with headphone jacks. Now, companies are pawning the 3.5mm input off as a premium feature, save for Google which included the headphone jack in the budgetPixel 3abut omitted it fromPixel 3andPixel 4flagships. It feels bad to be coerced into paying a premium for something that was once ordinary. At the end of the day, companies have their agendas, sure, but it’s remarkable how quick some monoliths are to disregard loyal customers’ interests for an easy money grab.
Not everyone can afford wireless earbuds
Whilewireless and true wireless earbudshave become markedly more affordable in the past few years, you’re unlikely to find an $8 pair of wireless earbuds with as much ease as you would a wired pair. Some of thebest cheap true wireless earbudsretail for around $40 or $50, which is more than just chump change for many of us. If companies want to encourage loyalty, they need to respect where the average consumer comes from. Many of us don’t have generous disposable incomes whereby we can shell out money for electronic accessories without considering our monthly budgets.
Consumer frustration stems from more than just a lack of choice, which remains a valid argument, but also from a place of feeling financially burdened. You can certainly argue that music isn’t a necessity. Heck, it doesn’t even register on Maslow’s hierarchy. Yet, the fact remains that the headphone jack, in all its former glory, was a default inclusion — it seemed a stretch to classify it as a feature. Being strong-armed into paying a premium for what should be boring piece of hardware only makes me hold tighter to my currentSamsung Galaxy S10e.
When the time comes for an upgrade, I won’t feel the need for a headphone jack as I rarely use it on my smartphone now. I recognize my unique position allows me to test multiple wireless andtrue wirelessreview units at any given time, so money is a non-issue in that regard. However, the 3.5mm headphone jack’s absence is an inconsiderate inconvenience for those with different financial means. Whether it’s from thegymor during times of stress, music brings joy to our lives. It pains me to seewired audiobecome a gate-kept pleasure afforded only to those who, well, can afford it.
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