Sony: We removed the headphone jack due to the XZ2's design

[DrMacintosh]

4 minutes ago, Daring said:

I'm keeping my wired headphones and ability to listen to music on YouTube while charging my phone, thanks ^^

You never actually have to give that up. You have options. The most obvious option is to get wireless headphones. If you don't like that you can always get a splitter. 

[Enderman]

17 minutes ago, D13H4RD2L1V3 said:

Which only adds to the absurdity. 

 

Plus, if they don't want a hole, remove the USB-C port and go all-in on Qi. It's just baffling to me. They said they needed to, but I just don't see a need for it to be gone. 

 

Seriously, I don't think people care much about a hole on the bottom or top of a device 

You kinda need a USB port for initially putting the OS on the device, reloading the OS, quickly transferring files or when no wireless network is available, faster charging than wireless, no need to carry around a wireless charging pad, only a cable, etc.

There are still many uses for the USB port.

The headphone jack only serves one purpose.

 

Nobody said it was a "need", it was just a design decision.

Just like there is no "need" for the printer port to be removed from PCs, but it was anyway.

This is how you move people towards using a single cable for all their devices. It's called progress.

 

I don't care much about the headphone jack missing from my phone.

Never felt the need to listen to music on it, and if I did I would just buy usb-c earphones.

If I was cheap, I would just use the included adapter. There is nothing wrong with that.

The exterior design is a lot nicer without it too.

[Blademaster91]

57 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

I really hope people realize that this is happening and will stop complaining. The headphone jack is dying, accept it. 

Yeah sure,on Apple phones. Every other company ditching the headphone jack is doing it for aesthetic design reasons. Sony leaving out the headphone jack when they're known for high quality headphones that use a 3.5mm jack is just silly.

[iamdarkyoshi]

Well

 

Add this to the list of phones I downright refuse to buy.

 

I hope this stupid trend fades away and 3.5mm jacks come back. Its stupid.

[Nowak]

4 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

You never actually have to give that up. You have options. The most obvious option is to get wireless headphones. If you don't like that you can always get a splitter. 

Can't use those on a plane my guy. Unless federal aviation rules have changed recently; it's been a year since I last flew anywhere.

 

But, y'know what? You're right, I have options. I love my features, so I'm keeping my headphone jack! No phones with no headphone jack for me, even if it means no more high-end phones.

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, Daring said:

Can't use those on a plane my guy. Unless federal aviation rules have changed recently; it's been a year since I last flew anywhere.

 

FAA lets you use wireless devices on aircraft because phones do literally nothing to aircraft engines. 

[Nowak]

Just now, DrMacintosh said:

FAA lets you use wireless devices on aircraft because phones do literally nothing to aircraft engines. 

In airplane mode.

 

Also, the Switch does not support Bluetooth headphones (even though it supports BT 4.2), so, no. Wireless headphones are not an option for me.

[Guest The Viking]

well...

 

I used to think it was an issue too.

 

Then I realized I never used my phone with headphones while charging. More like, I never used my phone while charging it.

 

Maybe... get a phone with a GOOD battery? Something that doesn't last 5 hours then dies? like, I don't know... a mate 10 pro? 

 

edit: next thing to go away is the microSD slot btw....

[D13H4RD]

21 minutes ago, Enderman said:

Nobody said it was a "need", it was just a design decision.

Just like there is no "need" for the printer port to be removed from PCs, but it was anyway.

This is how you move people towards using a single cable for all their devices. It's called progress.

I hate to be so flipping daft, but progress is when you remove a port and replace it with something that is universally acceptable.

 

Sony ruined a good thing by using an open connector but making the interface proprietary to only the XZ2. Which means if you choose to move on to something different or want to use it with a laptop, you're SOL.

 

Google and Essential did it right at least. They have dongles which allows you to use it on anything with a USB-C port so as long as it can supply power and a digital signal. Others need to take notes. When we killed off PS/2 and dedicated printer ports for USB-A, it was universally compatible. Almost everything on my desk plugs into a USB-A port and works right out of the box without a faff. I wish I could say the same for USB-C dongles but when I can't use a Moto dongle with my Samsung phone or ASUS laptop despite using the same universal connector, we have a problem. 

 

Also, that USB comment was a sarcastic jab at the holes thing. 

[Blademaster91]

33 minutes ago, Enderman said:

I don't care much about the headphone jack missing from my phone.

Never felt the need to listen to music on it, and if I did I would just buy usb-c earphones.

If I was cheap, I would just use the included adapter. There is nothing wrong with that.

The exterior design is a lot nicer without it too.

USB-C headphones cost more yet don't compare to any decent pair of headphones you can plug into literally any 3.5mm audio jack that you don't have to charge either,lol.

21 minutes ago, The Viking said:

well...

I used to think it was an issue too.

Then I realized I never used my phone with headphones while charging. More like, I never used my phone while charging it.

Maybe... get a phone with a GOOD battery? Something that doesn't last 5 hours then dies? like, I don't know... a mate 10 pro? 

edit: next thing to go away is the microSD slot btw....

I'm not sure why people are fine with feature regression, not everyone wants a 6.0" phone either. Once everyone copies getting rid of the 3.5mm jack and microsd card slot I'll find a phone that has both,maybe someone will realize removable storage and not needing stupid dongles was better.

[suicidalfranco]

One less brand to give a f about

[Curufinwe_wins]

And in the mean time... I'm enjoying using my new S9+ with it's not pointlessly removed headphone jack. Oh. And I do own PXC 550s which are my primary headphones for my phone use, and if they run out of battery at any point (because I do use them for days at a time without thinking about it). I can plug them into my phone and keep on keeping on without a second thought. I also primarily wirelessly charge my phone. That doesn't mean I think it wouldn't be incredibly stupid to remove the USB port. 

 

Guess what. The printer port is a giant terrible connector that offered nothing but headache (as someone old enough to have used them extensively). USB connectors are bigger than 3.5mm jacks. Cell phones have to have their own internal DAC's anyways since they have these things called speakers. 

 

Having a shitty adapter with a blatantly bad dac (for the record... USB does now support analogue audio, but most makers atm are still not using it, choosing instead to implement digital audio with incredibly cheap-ass adapters).

 

 

"removing a feature" while replacing it with patently inferior options is not progress.

[D13H4RD]

3 minutes ago, Curufinwe_wins said:

"removing a feature" while replacing it with patently inferior options is not progress.

My biggest issue is just the mess of different proprietary interface standards over USB-C. 

 

How I wish the USB-IF just stepped in and said "Wanna use USB-C for audio? Just use what we have so you don't fuck everything else up". 

 

Still beyond retarded how my USB-C dongles are made only to work with one device or one device family, especially when my USB-A equipment could give 2 shits over what it is connected to. 

[Dylanc1500]

 

30 minutes ago, iamdarkyoshi said:

Well

 

Add this to the list of phones I downright refuse to buy.

 

I hope this stupid trend fades away and 3.5mm jacks come back. Its stupid.

I will patiently wait for a phone with a 1/4" jack. We will make a full circle at some point, heck vinyl and cassettes are starting to get popular again (even if the cuts are just from digital masters...)

 

Someone should talk Sennheiser into making a phone.

[Curufinwe_wins]

Just now, D13H4RD2L1V3 said:

My biggest issue is just the mess of different proprietary interface standards over USB-C. 

 

How I wish the USB-IF just stepped in and said "Wanna use USB-C for audio? Just use what we have so you don't fuck everything else up". 

 

Still beyond retarded how my USB-C dongles are made only to work with one device or one device family, especially when my USB-A equipment could give 2 shits over what it is connected to. 

Esp because making them to work with only one device or device families is actually more work than just using the standard... ffs. But hey, if apple can have it's own proprietary connectors, why can't we?

[Dylanc1500]

1 minute ago, Curufinwe_wins said:

Esp because making them to work with only one device or device families is actually more work than just using the standard... ffs. But hey, if apple can have it's own proprietary connectors, why can't we?

Everyone wants a slice of apple, they just all want to peel it in a different way.

[D13H4RD]

1 minute ago, Curufinwe_wins said:

Esp because making them to work with only one device or device families is actually more work than just using the standard... ffs. But hey, if apple can have it's own proprietary connectors, why can't we?

I mean, I wouldn't mind having no jack if this wasn't a thing. 

 

They should do some sort of certification where if the dongle works on everything USB-C, then it gets a little sticker on the box. 

[Curufinwe_wins]

6 minutes ago, Dylanc1500 said:

 

I will patiently wait for a phone with a 1/4" jack. We will make a full circle at some point, heck vinyl and cassettes are starting to get popular again (even if the cuts are just from digital masters...)

 

Someone should talk Sennheiser into making a phone.

But why? what do you get going from modern 3.5mm jacks that can handle 5 pole systems? I have trouble believing that the resistance is even measurably different for 1/4 and 3.5mm jacks with modern insulators and construction methods. Like I'm 100% going to call out sennheiser for their bullshit of using internal 2.5mm jacks on one end of their headphones and 1/4" jacks on the other. absolutely pointless.

 

Ofc if you have any data on that, it would be great. I see for large utilities, the bigger connector might be more robust, but it doesn't seem "better".

[lewdicrous]

1 hour ago, MoonSpot said:

-snip-

[MrDynamicMan]

2 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

I really hope people realize that this is happening and will stop complaining. The headphone jack is dying, accept it. 

No way in hell. I'm not gonna start buying wireless IEMs just because most manufacturers turned into sheep.

[MrDynamicMan]

44 minutes ago, Curufinwe_wins said:

But why? what do you get going from modern 3.5mm jacks that can handle 5 pole systems? I have trouble believing that the resistance is even measurably different for 1/4 and 3.5mm jacks with modern insulators and construction methods. Like I'm 100% going to call out sennheiser for their bullshit of using internal 2.5mm jacks on one end of their headphones and 1/4" jacks on the other. absolutely pointless.

 

Ofc if you have any data on that, it would be great. I see for large utilities, the bigger connector might be more robust, but it doesn't seem "better".

Yeah I really think it's just a robustness thing. Like if I had to use 3.5mm on my guitar I'd be sketched out all the time about it breaking.

[vanished]

1 hour ago, D13H4RD2L1V3 said:

My biggest issue is just the mess of different proprietary interface standards over USB-C. 

 

How I wish the USB-IF just stepped in and said "Wanna use USB-C for audio? Just use what we have so you don't fuck everything else up". 

 

Still beyond retarded how my USB-C dongles are made only to work with one device or one device family, especially when my USB-A equipment could give 2 shits over what it is connected to. 

Even if everyone did use USB-C - which we can't even achieve at the moment since some phones are type C, some are still micro B, and then there's Apple - how long would that stay valid for?  Technology has a history of moving pretty fast, and part of that is coming up with new ports and leaving old ones behind.  USB as a whole hasn't even been around that long compared with the 3.5 mm jack, and when you look closer at the different connectors we've gone through over the years (mini B, micro B, and now type C), it's not hard to imagine that we might all be changing again in < 10 years.  Considering the transition period could easily last that long, we may end up in a constant state of having different ports on ever device, be them phones or headphones, and as a result needing an adapter to go from any one of them to most others.  Or, we could just stick with the jack that's worked fine since inception and still does so today, and has no reason to change.

[themctipers]

2 hours ago, DrMacintosh said:

It will be a standard, but as long as Apple exists they have no reason to pay additional royalties to have the USB-C connector in the iPhone and therefore won't become "the standard". Eventually Apple hopes to eliminate the lighting connector all together and believe it or not, they could do that now if they felt the market was ready for it. 

can't wait until i have that totally wireless future

im 2% ready to pay for airpods, and the air power mat, and throw away all of my lightning cables  

 

[Dabombinable]

Still don't get the push away from the audio jack. Our ears are analogue, so headphones and speakers need to be analogue. And since all phones have speakers (and the fact that there are mini headphone jacks) every single manufacturer giving an excuse for removing (after fApple) it is just being an iSheep and treating their customers like idiots.

[D13H4RD]

16 minutes ago, Ryan_Vickers said:

Even if everyone did use USB-C - which we can't even achieve at the moment since some phones are type C, some are still micro B, and then there's Apple - how long would that stay valid for?  Technology has a history of moving pretty fast, and part of that is coming up with new ports and leaving old ones behind.  USB as a whole hasn't even been around that long compared with the 3.5 mm jack, and when you look closer at the different connectors we've gone through over the years (mini B, micro B, and now type C), it's not hard to imagine that we might all be changing again in < 10 years.  Considering the transition period could easily last that long, we may end up in a constant state of having different ports on ever device, be them phones or headphones, and as a result needing an adapter to go from any one of them to most others.  Or, we could just stick with the jack that's worked fine since inception and still does so today, and has no reason to change.

That’s another problem.

 

What’s next? USB-C won’t be around for 50+ years