A couple hours before I was on the edge of getting a Fairphone 5 but I read the specifications and didn’t see 3.5 mm audio jack anywhere. So I thought to myself…why? The community has been requesting this for a couple years ago now so why not. They’re already making money on the phone, they’re really pushing for people to get their wireless headphones? Just add the headphone jack, shouldn’t be too hard.
They said they’re treating their workers fairly, sourcing from ethical sources, renewable claims, repairability claims, and supporting foss projects (they donated a fp4 to CalyxOS to support development). All of these are amazing, so adding a little headphone jack shouldn’t be that hard in the grand scheme of all this.
*Add the headphone jack and I’ll be happy to support and get a fp5.
Wireless earphones/headphones are more expensive and sometimes inconvenient. People defending companies say “you can get a pair of wireless buds for like 20 dollars” you can, but how much are they going to last and how shitty will they feel and sound? Even when buying them for a high price, their batteries will wear out. The worst thing is adding this port doesn’t affect you in the slightest if you don’t use wired headphones, so couldn’t you just shut the fuck up if that’s the case?
One thing people don’t/forget to mention, is that the microphones in even earpods tier wired earphones will sound infinitely better than most mics in Bluetooth headphones, even in the multiple hundred dollar tier range.
Also, you won’t be forced to go into crappy mono sound mode when on call using Bluetooth headphones. When I use BT headphones with my laptop, I almost always use the integrated mic on the laptop instead of the built in ones in the headphone due to this.
This isn’t a discussion about wireless vs wired though, this is a discussion about whether or not an ancient standard that has already been replaced should be reintroduced just because some people have been using that standard for a long time…
There are USB wired hearphones, there are even adaptors for your old 3.5 mm jack devices, so how is this about wireless vs wired?
IMO, once phone manufacturers decide to remove headphone jacks from their devices, the discussion of wired vs wireless is inevitable since you are forcing customers to make a choice/sacrifice. Headphones very much still use 3.5mm jacks, especially in high end headphones where there are also other types of plugs for balanced audio. Wireless tech is not going to replace it anytime soon, and headphones that end with a USB port are few and far between. Although there are solutions out there like dongles and Hi-Fi Bluetooth receivers, to some they are still an extra thing to manage, while with a built in headphone jack all of the hassle would be gone.
That is just plain wrong. Phone calls are always mono. Also, audio quality via bluetooth can easily be as good as over wire, and many bt headphones have great microphones.
I know phone calls are always mono. The reason I mentioned laptop use is because I could also play other stuff in the background along with the phone call, and forcing the headphones into Bluetooth phone call mode makes the overall audio quality crappy. That’s why I use laptop integrated mics to keep the headphones in stereo mode.
Wireless headphones aren’t the only available option… There are USB earplugs and there are adapters. The only argument you have is “but I can’t charge my phone while listening to music”…
Yes but I have audiophile headphones that I used to be able to use on on my phone without needing a dongle which I lose and need to replace everytime I plug the headphones into something else Can u name a solution for this that doesn’t involve replacing dongles constantly
It’s useless to argue with this guy, he’s just going around shouting that the audio jack is obsolete, doesn’t even know what obsolete means and is just throwing a hissy fit.
He can’t name a solution, it’s just everyone’s else problem that we want to use the better option.
One thing that saddens me as someone from a third world country when I see people with that attitude and supporting the corporations’ decisions, is that I see how much we are fucked and we don’t matter at all.
Any earphone option besides the ones with the jack are more expensive, even USB ones. Wireless phones are much more expensive, and the ones we can afford become defective so fast.
It’s also sad to see people telling how the common stuff around me is obsolete. Well, I get it, we’re the global waste from a capitalist view, but it still hurts to see it in action. (I wonder how people around here would react if they knew that microusb is still widely used around here and a lot of people don’t even have type c cables)
In the end, companies will do anything they want and people will support them blindly. I just hope my current phone lasts for a good while, because not only I can’t afford a new one, but, if I can’t get one with an audio jack, I will simply have to listen to anything aloud for a long time.
You can say that something is obsolete when a superior alternative is created, and is widely available.
E.g. you can say that cassettes are obsolete because cds exist, or that cds are obsolete because of streaming (arguably), but saying that one of the most widespread and reliable connectors is obsolete just because you think it’s old is just an idiotic thing to say.
On one hand i welcome what fairphone and also nokia, motorola and others are doing, making replacement parts available to the general public, but still i think Fairphone are huge hypocrites as of right now because of their choice and lame justifications. I expect this crap from apple, not from the “bastions of repairability and sustainability”
No, but I don’t get why anybody owes you a solution… We are talking about smartphones here, not professional audio devices… Most people don’t care about using professional studio headsets with their smartphone, so I don’t understand why you expect smartphone manufactureres bending themselves over backwards just to satisfy a small minority of people like you when that would mean that 90% of people now have a plug that they never use…
I’m guessing you never lived through the iPod/MP3 player era? You do not need a professional audio device to enjoy music. Most people would happily live by with a crappy $20 earbud.
You have to remember that not that long ago, every phone used to have a headphone jack built in. It wasn’t until Apple created the problem of removing the headphone jack, and created the solution in the Airpods (which generated massive amounts of profit), that other manufacturers followed suit. It never was organic.
I think there are even dongles that let you charge while listening to music.
There are arguments saying the headphone jack takes up too much space which could be made room for something else like a bigger battery and more components. To that I say to take a look at the iphone 6 or phones nowadays that still retain the headphone jack. Absolute disgrace that everybody has jumped off the cliff with Apple.