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Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

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161–170 of 395 posts

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#161

I've been using the budget Moto G+ line for the past four years. I can upgrade my phone every year around Black Friday and get the latest model for sub $200. The older phones still work well and get handed down to my less tech savvy family members. I'm not really sure what people are paying for when they get those $800+ beasts for phones. When I use a friend's I can tell they are higher quality; either they feel more…

My apple phones have consistently been good for 3-4 years, making the yearly outlay similar. The differences aren't in the CPU features but rather the screen and camera features. The high end apple phone from two years ago still has a better screen than the budget android today and the camera is probably better as well - perhaps equal at worst. No, I don't have a headphone jack (and yes, it is annoying) but it isn't…

> My apple phones have consistently been good for 3-4 years, making the yearly outlay similar.

That depends a lot. The sum total of every smartphone I've owned since 2012 (4 phones, ~$1100 Canadian before tax) is comparable to the cost of a single current generation iPhone.

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> For anyone looking into buying a new Android phone, I highly recommend the Pixel 3a. Honestly, I'd only recommend it to people who really value the camera.

What's your recommendation? I'm about to look at upgrading from my Pixel 1 and the 3a has been a frontrunner for me so far. I'm waiting to see what the rumored 4 & 4a bring to the table before I jump on anything.

It's hard to make a recommendation without knowing your needs. However, if the Pixel 1 makes you happy, then I'm likely to recommend that you just get another Pixel.

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#163

Sorry but this list is trash. Every smartphone on that list was overpriced and runs some horrid vendor customized version of Android that's sure to become obsolete because the vendors will stop updating it with a year or two. the one that was around $200 (Motorola) had specs way worse than the phone I'm using (Nokia 2.2) to type this message, which is $70 cheaper than the Motorola and has a headphone jack btw.

>Every smartphone on that list was overpriced and runs some horrid vendor customized version of Android

Pray tell, what Android version is the iPhone SE running?

As for the rest of your comment, you can constructively recommend other devices, like the Nokia 2.2 that you're using, without the negative tone. Your first sentence is unnecessarily obtuse.

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I’ve been through the obsolescence of[...] The difference is that those things had replacements available that were at least adequate.

Your bluetooth experiences don't mimic the majority. You've just had some shitty headphones and/or Android phones. Never a problem on my iphones 4, 6, 8 Plus and I'm sure my soon to be 11 Pro with 10s of bluetooth enabled devices (cars, headphones, speakers, etc).

I never claimed that my experiences reflected the majority. However, my experience is shared by a lot of other people nonetheless.

Also, I've tried a wide variety of different bluetooth earphones on a variety of different smartphones. If the problem is just that I haven't found the right combination, then I'd say that is an argument against bluetooth for this purpose.

I shouldn't have to do a deep research dive just to find the combination that works. We're talking about listening to music here, not something tricky where a large research effort is justified.

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I’ve been through the obsolescence of[...] The difference is that those things had replacements available that were at least adequate.

Your bluetooth experiences don't mimic the majority. You've just had some shitty headphones and/or Android phones. Never a problem on my iphones 4, 6, 8 Plus and I'm sure my soon to be 11 Pro with 10s of bluetooth enabled devices (cars, headphones, speakers, etc).

I use an iPhone 6s and sometimes my AirPods cut out randomly, and loses signal if they're in my pocket. I've been on quite a few walks where I need to hold my iPhone in my hand instead of having it in my pocket in order to listen to my podcast or whatever. Sometimes it's not a problem at all, though. Sometimes they don't charge, so I can only use 1 AirPod while I wait 5 minutes for the other one to charge a little. I can really understand why someone might find bluetooth maddening, but personally I find the wires even more annoying. Different strokes...

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#166
post #48
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really relevant. Obviously you want fast I/O for your OS storage, but for external storage that's mostly going to be used for music, videos, and images, it really doesn't matter how fast it is.

Loading my (40k+ image) library on a 90MB/s card was painfully slow. Fast I/O always matters, there is no reason to make a performance sacrifice like that in 2019.

> Loading my (40k+ image)

> there is no reason to make a performance sacrifice like that in 2019.

> 64 GB: $1099

> 256 GB: $1249

> 512 GB: $1449

Cost is a reason, not having 40k images to load is another one. We clearly don't have the same sacrifice to do sadly.

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#167

I'm a single-issue voter when it comes to cell phones - if it doesn't have a headphone jack, I won't be buying it.

What I don't get is: it's not an either/or proposition, it's not like you have to choose between having wired and wireless headphones.

I use my Airpods on my android phone, and they're pretty nice for when I'm doing housework and working around the shop. When I'm at work, I plug in my plantronics headset for conference calls, and my regular cans when I'm listening to music. Airpods don't have the stamina to keep up with a long day of work, nor the sound quality I want - they are a compromise device.

I don't really care about this debate too much anymore, since it seems that a few good manufacturers are still clued in that this is an actual need that a lot of people have (I've been using a Moto G5, and now I'm using an S9). But it is odd to still pushing the claim that "everyone got over it" with regards to headphone jacks - I never got over it, and I continue to vote with my wallet.

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

but, why? I sincerely don't understand why the headphone jack is the hill that so many people choose to die on. The $9 lightning to 3.5mm dongle has worked perfectly for me, as has my USB-c to 3.5mm dongle.

Yeah, I don't get the headphone jack obsession either. Bluetooth has been perfect for me and frees me from the cord. I can't stand tangled up cords that tickle my neck as I'm trying to listen to music.

For most people bluetooth is not perfect. For some, it's tolerable. For me, it's a pain in the ass that requires frequent re-pairing, mucking around with configuration, recharging headphones, and generally thinking about how to set it up and why it's not working. The total set of failure modes for wired headphones is much easier to understand.

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I’ve been through the obsolescence of[...] The difference is that those things had replacements available that were at least adequate.

Your bluetooth experiences don't mimic the majority. You've just had some shitty headphones and/or Android phones. Never a problem on my iphones 4, 6, 8 Plus and I'm sure my soon to be 11 Pro with 10s of bluetooth enabled devices (cars, headphones, speakers, etc).

Are you implying that Android users are in some secondary group? I was under the impression that was a bigger group than any other.

Re: Best Smartphones That Still Have a Headphone Jack

#170
post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

but, why? I sincerely don't understand why the headphone jack is the hill that so many people choose to die on. The $9 lightning to 3.5mm dongle has worked perfectly for me, as has my USB-c to 3.5mm dongle.

I grok the antipathy towards a dongle or ideals of a headphone jack. I mean, the latest MBP they sell doesn't have lightning for headphones, so even across Apple's highest end products, you need different connectors. However, I gave up on that fight years ago - I use AirPods (and BT in general) for my audio. Other than CarPlay (which is also lightning connector).

For me, it's not really a "fight". It's more about preferring to buy things that meet my needs, which I'll continue to do.
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