Don’t get me wrong. Apple removing audio jack was the biggest facepalm in smartphone history. And you can thank it for not being able to make an upgrade without sacrificing audio jack (and SD card too :/). But USB-C is getting standardized everywhere now (laptops, smartphones, etc.). What makes USB-C earphones not worth the switch?
Condenses the ports to one standard. Instead of an audio and a USB-C, you just have a USB-C. So now you can fit more/different stuff in the internals or streamline the device to make it slightly smaller or thinner. Far enough down the line when most everyone is on board, can remove support for it from the kernel, minimizing the code footprint, attack surface, and code maintenance.
Sure, it sucks now as we’re in the midst of it and people are resistant to change, but fast forward to when it’s universally adopted and accepted, it’ll be better.
But this is almost all false or just speculation.
Instead of having audio and usb-c, now you have usb-c port, usb-c headphone dongle, the finally audio port and usb-c port again. Unless you want to intentionally buy a usb-c exclusive set of headphones that won’t work with whatever next “revolutionary port technology” comes out.
As long as they still work, good headphones from 40 years ago are still good. Headphone tech has not significantly changed. Amps, DACs, etc have, but not the actual drivers.
As far as space goes, reasonable DAC components are getting smaller and smaller while phones tend to be getting larger as people want more screen space. The space savings on hardware here is not significant. Seriously go and look up sizes of the components needed for audio out.
As far as thinner goes, the width needed for a headphone jack is like 2mm more than what’s needed for a usb-c port, and there’s width needed for internal speakers either way. I’m also not sure how much thinner people want cell phones to be at this point. We’re pretty close to the point of sacrificing device drop resistance for size anyway (arguably we’ve passed that point with most people doubling the size of their phone with a protective case). Not to mention that the real thing preventing more thinness is the camera lenses now, as easily evidenced by the camera island bumps all phones have now.
Lastly, you can’t seriously be arguing that analog audio out represents any significant amount of attack surface kernel wise. Like holy shit man. Wow. Yes, technically every line of code is increased attack surface, but it’s a huge assumption that USB-C audio is in any way more secure or less surface.
Instead of having audio and usb-c, now you have usb-c port, usb-c headphone dongle, the finally audio port and usb-c port again. Unless you want to intentionally buy a usb-c exclusive set of headphones that won’t work with whatever next “revolutionary port technology” comes out.
Standards change as they get developed and better, sorry. I don’t see the “new revolutionary port technology” coming out in the next couple of decades, especially with the EU forcing USB-C on all (which is a good thing). USB-C is still fairly new and not adopted everywhere. And I’d bet money that most people don’t keep 40 year old headphones. Like, I said, sure it sucks now because we’re in the middle of it.
Yes, technically every line of code is increased attack surface, but it’s a huge assumption that USB-C audio is in any way more secure or less surface.
Except the USB-C is here to stay for a good bit…unless you’re proposing making it a power only connectors? Some secure devices do that, but why handicap the new port on mobile device that has limited space? So yes, removing the audio port code portion on a device with no audio port makes sense, when we get there.
Space is at a premium in phones as they are already fairly small and cramped. And why duplicate the ports (have two audio ports) simply because you don’t want to buy a dongle or a new headset to replace 40 year old devices that have drastically been improved?
You’re coming at this from the angle that the headphones are just going to be used with the phone. Why should the headphones I use for my desktop amp, digital drum set, music work, etc all change to support my phone?
I get for the vast majority of people they use headphones with their phones and that’s why this was allowed to happen, but in music the overwhelming majority of headphones use the standard jack and I can tell you there is no way in hell that is changing any time soon. People pay a lot of money for audio equipment and they’re not throwing it out to use the crappy DAC built into headphones.
Is this niche? Sure. But it’s a standard that has worked and will continue to work forever due to its simplicity. The analogue headphone jack will long outlive USB-C, mark my words.
Why should we condense the ports into 1? This is worse, not better. In fact some Chinese phones also have an IR blaster so you can control your TV and Aircon from the phone.
As for thinness is the phone, my Sony Xperia 10iii is 5.9" and very thin. Probably the smallest phone on the market and it has a headphone jack, SD card slot, and full IP68 waterproofing. Plus 3 lense camera. No need for massive stove top lenses on the back.
It can easily fit on any phone. The jack is tiny. It’s just a lie from the manufacturers to force you to buy expensive Bluetooth headphones.
My wired in ear headphones take up WAY less space in my pocket than bog bulky Bluetooth headphones with their charging case.
