Most people still dearly miss the headphone jack

We accept that new technology developments will ultimately overcome and surpass older technologies, but that doesn’t always mean the newer technology is better.

When Apple pulled the 3.5mm headphone jack off the iPhone 7 for the first time in 2016, it was a death knell for the ubiquitous port. Android OEMs joined Apple’s anti-analog battle shortly after its move. More recently, companies like Sony seem to have realized how “indispensable” the jack is.

But we asked ourselves Android Authority Do readers feel the same way? Have you tweaked the point where the lack of the audio jack is no longer a problem for bluetooth audio? Are you now all in the wireless audio ecosystem?

At the end of last month we asked you to take a poll on the website and to vote on twitterand here is what you told us.

Could you go back to a headphone jack after choosing bluetooth?

Results

It appears that readers’ views on the importance of the audio jack haven’t changed much. Of the 6,000+ votes we received on the website, nearly 72% of readers say that if their device had one, they would “absolutely want to use a headphone jack”. Our Twitter audience also largely agrees. A little more than 69% of those questioned were in favor of this option.

While this doesn’t mean smartphone users are still angry about the venerable jack being removed, it does understand that the physical port would be used if the option were given. USB-C dongles also don’t seem like a valid substitute for reading devices.

connected: 3 Reasons to Buy Wired Headphones in 2020

In a survey we conducted earlier this year, a surprising number of you said you’d be willing to spend up to $ 50 more on a Samsung Galaxy Note 20 with a headphone jack. Giving users the choice of using different hardware in different situations only makes sense, and is probably a primary reason why Sony, LG, and Google are still using or re-introducing the port for some devices. Redundancy and freedom of choice seem to be the main motivators for users here.

Even so, some readers are turning to wireless audio and are more than happy to get rid of cables. Just under a third (30.8%) of respondents say they are “all-in on Bluetooth” and are unlikely to revert to wired audio even if that option is available. Our Twitter voters tell a similar story: just under 31% of voters are fully committed to Bluetooth audio technology.

This option was attempted to find users who did not see an issue with the lack of a headphone jack and who would not consider using the legacy port on their devices even if offered a choice. With that in mind, it’s a surprisingly large percentage of voters who wouldn’t resort to wired audio. Many respondents confirm the convenience and ease of use of wireless audio accessories.

We highlighted some notable comments from both sides of the fence in the section below.

Here’s what you had to say

• AnySmarterIdRunLinux: It would be difficult to sacrifice the sub-par audio quality and drained battery for something that sounded better and always worked, but I think I could adjust with enough time.
• bigdav1178: I don’t have to come back, I never left.
• Brian Fowler: Thanks LG for not having to worry. I use cheap bluetooth headphones for podcasts and audiobooks at work and decent wired headphones for music.
• Zero: Many might like the wireless headphones, but I can count the number of times my phone has been saved with a wired headphone.
• Germaine Liew: I use my wireless device for traveling and maybe doing some chores. Otherwise, I find it easy to connect my cable pair. Basically, I exchange both regularly.
• mrochester: I definitely couldn’t go back to wired headphones. Wireless is just so convenient and wired it wouldn’t work with a smartwatch anyway.
• arcwindz: Strictly speaking, through the use of headphones, yes, I prefer the mobility of bluetooth audio. BUT a phone that can’t be tuned to FM radio is quite a deal breaker for me. So it’s the same as the headphone jack. In fact, the perfect bluetooth headphone is one that can be wireless and wired at the same time.
• Brad Fortin: Since I got my first iPod in 2005, I’ve craved wireless headphones. I can’t believe it took them so long to catch on when they are such an obvious idea. If companies had put a serious effort into this category, we could have practically perfected the technology by now.

That’s it for this poll. As always, thank you for all of your votes and comments. If you have any thoughts about the results or about bluetooth audio and the headphone jack in general, drop these below.