Last year, Google was quick to point out that it wasn't dropping the 3.5mm headphone jack from its flagship smartphones, the Pixel and Pixel XL, even calling out Apple for its decision to do just the opposite. But that was last year, and this year Google thinks it's okay to remove the 3.5mm headphone jack from its own Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. They would very much like you to switch to a wireless listening experience -- and hey, Google Pixel Buds look like they might be a good way to do that.
It is definitely starting to look like the headphone jack is on the way out. At least for a lot of companies. It always felt kind of inevitable that this would be the case when Apple did it with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, even if the company wasn't technically the first to do it. But here we are, with Google following suit, and I don't think anyone would be all that surprised if Samsung did the same thing with its flagship smartphones next year.
Or maybe they keep it around a bit longer.
Interestingly enough, LG looks like it's the only company that is keeping the headphone jack around for an actual reason, other than simply the fact the port has been a longstanding default on so many devices for so many years. LG's built-in features for devices like the V30, which boasts a Quad-DAC audio system for much-improved sound versus the competition, give that headphone jack a worthy spot on the bullet point list for features.
Meanwhile, other companies have tried to give a boost to their sound profiles on smartphones, like HTC with its BoomSound efforts, to different results. So while some companies are moving to the wireless way of things --which isn't inherently bad or user hostile-- others have deemed it perfectly okay to keep the headphone jack around. And still others know that keeping the port is one thing, but actually taking advantage of it, and offering better sound, is the best possible option.
Except that LG puts the headphone jack on the top of the phone. This is something that never used to bother me, but only because that was the standard place for the port and we didn't have any other options, so I just didn't know any better. I don't honestly remember which phone I used first that had the headphone jack on the bottom, but it was suddenly clear that that was the way it should always be.
I usually put my phone into my pocket face down, so that the display is facing my leg. That way, when I pull the phone out, I just have to twist the wrist to see the display. It's a natural way of doing things, but it's not possible if the headphone jack is on the top. The port being on the bottom just feels like the most convenient, and most comfortable, place to put it.
What do you think? If you want manufacturers to keep the headphone jack around, where do you think it should be positioned on the phone: top or bottom? Let me know!
