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[Spinluck]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

 

[steven85]

I've had every version of the iPhone and kind of getting bored of the platform. I'm hoping when official details on the Pixel 2 drop they will be pleasing.

 

[alr1ght]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

For an undeniably worse experience, yes. You're welcome to use bt headphones on any phone with a 3.5mm jack.

 

[ChrisSTARR]

I'm in love with my Pixel, it's good to hear I won't be tempted to upgrade anytime soon.

 

[Alucrid]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

i don't want to spend more money to have to research good wireless headphone options, buy them, then deal with bullshit like keeping them charged.

 

[ItIsOkBro]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

gaf: where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone means settling for less

 

[DOWN]

Wait, is there no front facing camera?

 

[rokkerkory]

No 3.5mm jack is effin fail

 

[Beer Monkey]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

I have multiple sets of headphones that cost hundreds each.

Not buying a phone without a 3.5mm jack though.

 

[cpp_is_king]

Having a 3.5mm headphone jack does not prevent a phone from having any of those benefits.

It does while keeping the same size. Every mm of space inside the phone is valuable real estate, and when there is a reasonable alternative, you'll find that for most people they would rather have smaller, lighter, thinner, 1% more battery life, better speakers, or any number of other improvements. Not for everyone, mind you. But for enough people that the headphone jack is going to be a relic of ages past in 2-4 years. As in, it won't be on any phone. So you better start planning now for how you're going to deal with the apocalypse, because the writing is on the wall.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

It does while keeping the same size. Every mm of space inside the phone is valuable real estate, and when there is a reasonable alternative, you'll find that for most people they would rather have smaller, lighter, thinner, 1% more battery life, better speakers, or any number of other improvements. Not for everyone, mind you. But for enough people that the headphone jack is going to be a relic of ages past in 2-4 years. As in, it won't be on any phone. So you better start planning now for how you're going to deal with the apocalypse, because the writing is on the wall.

Donald Trump would want a phone with a headphone jack

 

[CreepingFear]

I'm in love with my Pixel, it's good to hear I won't be tempted to upgrade anytime soon.

I will keep mine(barring it doesn't break) until the Android monthly security updates are no longer pushed, which I believe will be October/November of 2019. At that time, I'll have to re-evaluate the market, but no jack probably means I'll be buying an iPhone.

 

[Chris R]

All I want in a phone:
- Stock Android
- 2K or higher screen around 5.5 inches
- Waterproof
- Headphone Jack

Why is this so hard? ;__________;

I'd even suck it up and live without a headphone jack if I could get the first 3.

All I want is

- Stock Android
- 5" screen (1440 is fine)
- Headphone Jack
- No Camera Bump
- All Day Battery

I'd live with a bigger screen if I had to.

 

[Omega Kirby]

Welp guess I'm getting a Galaxy S7 edge now.

 

[GreenMonkey]

It does while keeping the same size. Every mm of space inside the phone is valuable real estate, and when there is a reasonable alternative, you'll find that for most people they would rather have smaller, lighter, thinner, 1% more battery life, better speakers, or any number of other improvements. Not for everyone, mind you. But for enough people that the headphone jack is going to be a relic of ages past in 2-4 years. As in, it won't be on any phone. So you better start planning now for how you're going to deal with the apocalypse, because the writing is on the wall.

I disagree.

I think most people want to use normal headphones, or at least, use headphones in pinch that don't require charging.

I'm not buying a phone without it. Period. I don't think it is going anywhere except for Apple (who strip ports from everything in some sort of effort to Zenify/skinni-o-fy their stuff) and some few manufacturers who wanna pretend they are Apple.

I use my aux jack on my car daily. For an hour. And I don't want to do a BT aux adapter + power.

I have Bluetooth headphones for work and out and about.

Bluetooth chronically disconnects from interference. Not frequently but often enough. They need charging (I don't use headphones enough to remember to charge them very often).

My wife just abandoned iOS / (iPhone 6+)for Android again (she flip flops every 3-4 years), half the reason was the lack of headphone jack on the new ones.

For the argument that you save space for like 2% more battery, well, then you have to use BT for headphones, which eats power.

 

[snap]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

Really annoyed when people pull out this excuse. "You should get used to bluetooth headphones." "Bluetooth headphones aren't that much more expensive." "Bluetooth audio quality is good enough."

Here's the problem with bluetooth: say I wanted to spend $75ish on a pair of headphones, and I've had decent headphones in the past, so I care about getting "audiophile" quality. If I shop around, I can get a $200 Sennheiser when it goes on sale, or I might be able to pick up some V-Moda cans that normally sell for $300 (both of those I've been able to do in the past). Worst case scenario, I pick up some over-ear headphones that have a MSRP of $150, but normally sell for half that (like these). There is enough competition in that space that a person on a tight-ish budget like me can get audio quality far above what should be expected for that price range, as the competition keeps prices low and sales keep stock moving.

In comparison, say I want a good, high quality pair of bluetooth headphones. Well, firstly, most "audiophile" pandering companies don't make bluetooth headphones, so you're limited right of the bat. Those that do, often take their entry-level cans (usually around $30) and add bluetooth with a $10-20 surcharge. If you search broadly enough, though, you're able to consider stuff from Beats, and the handful of high-quality stuff from Sennheiser and others that tries to do high quality with bluetooth...but then you'll be paying more than double for the bluetooth tax. Even if you weren't those headphones are still outside a budget like mine.

Then you get to the fact that bluetooth is often lower quality than a wired connection. And the battery life limitations of the headphones, and the battery life hit that comes with leaving bluetooth on your phone on at all times. It's just unacceptable.

 

[Exuro]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

Seeing that bluetooth is banned at my work it's make or break for me. There would be adapters though but that's not as convenient as built in.

 

[Uno Venova]

I have multiple sets of headphones that cost hundreds each.

Not buying a phone without a 3.5mm jack though.

It's going to be hard going forward my man.

 

[imBask]

It's going to be hard going forward my man.

well with that attitude

 

[Veritigo_X]

It's going to be hard going forward my man.

Yeah, having worse quality headphones that require charging every night will be hard. I'm confused why people would not only willingly do that, but keep insisting that phones should only have the option for these headphones for no reason besides "it's the future".

 

[Hylian7]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

You say as you ignore all the other issues Bluetooth headphones have such as audio quality, wireless interference, etc.

 

[imBask]

Yeah, having worse quality headphones that require charging every night will be hard. I'm confused why people would not only willingly do that, but keep insisting that phones should only have the option for these headphones for no reason besides "it's the future".

nah dude they need more space for the battery

in order for that extra battery to get eaten up by your bluetooth headphones

it's like poetry, you wouldn't understand

 

[Uno Venova]

Yeah, having worse quality headphones that require charging every night will be hard. I'm confused why people would not only willingly do that, but keep insisting that phones should only have the option for these headphones for no reason besides "it's the future".

Not insisting, just looking at what the large manufacturers are doing. There's probably going to be less buying options for you if you insist on having 3.5mm.

 

[Killer Queen]

Why do people in here care about how others spend their money?

 

[Zeyphersan]

Yeah, having worse quality headphones that require charging every night will be hard. I'm confused why people would not only willingly do that, but keep insisting that phones should only have the option for these headphones for no reason besides "it's the future".

Wireless is worth it. So, so worth it. There’s a ton of utility in not being physically connected to a device you’re using, be that your phone or tablet or computer.

 

[Chris R]

Wireless is worth it. So, so worth it. There’s a ton of utility in not being physically connected to a device you’re using, be that your phone or tablet or computer.

Wireless being worth it should not preclude including a headphone jack for those who want to use it.

 

[imBask]

Wireless is worth it. So, so worth it. There’s a ton of utility in not being physically connected to a device you’re using, be that your phone or tablet or computer.

yes, that's why you have the option

 

[Baroquemantic]

Everything about the Pixel XL 2 sounds great except for the apparent lack of a headphone jack. There is no good reason to remove it, and no company, including Apple, has come up with a worthwhile argument or reason for why it needs to be removed.

This wouldn't be so bad if there were a number of Android options for someone who wants modern hardware, timely updates, stock(ish) Android, and a way to easily (relatively) get a custom ROM on the device when official software support comes to an end. Unfortunately, those options don't exist, especially in the high-end space.

And if by some chance this does end up with a headphone jack, I still have no idea if it'll even be available on my carrier.

 

[Spinluck]

Really annoyed when people pull out this excuse. "You should get used to bluetooth headphones." "Bluetooth headphones aren't that much more expensive." "Bluetooth audio quality is good enough."

Here's the problem with bluetooth: say I wanted to spend $75ish on a pair of headphones, and I've had decent headphones in the past, so I care about getting "audiophile" quality. If I shop around, I can get a $200 Sennheiser when it goes on sale, or I might be able to pick up some V-Moda cans that normally sell for $300 (both of those I've been able to do in the past). Worst case scenario, I pick up some over-ear headphones that have a MSRP of $150, but normally sell for half that (like these). There is enough competition in that space that a person on a tight-ish budget like me can get audio quality far above what should be expected for that price range, as the competition keeps prices low and sales keep stock moving.

In comparison, say I want a good, high quality pair of bluetooth headphones. Well, firstly, most "audiophile" pandering companies don't make bluetooth headphones, so you're limited right of the bat. Those that do, often take their entry-level cans (usually around $30) and add bluetooth with a $10-20 surcharge. If you search broadly enough, though, you're able to consider stuff from Beats, and the handful of high-quality stuff from Sennheiser and others that tries to do high quality with bluetooth...but then you'll be paying more than double for the bluetooth tax. Even if you weren't those headphones are still outside a budget like mine.

Then you get to the fact that bluetooth is often lower quality than a wired connection. And the battery life limitations of the headphones, and the battery life hit that comes with leaving bluetooth on your phone on at all times. It's just unacceptable.

I don't welcome the changes, nor do I excuse them.

It sucks, but I think you'll find better options on the market.

Shame that Google felt the need to go this route, they are really hit or miss with some of the decisions they've made with their line. Pixel seems to be universally praised though.

You say as you ignore all the other issues Bluetooth headphones have such as audio quality, wireless interference, etc.

The horror.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Are there any USB c head phones available?

 

[sleepnaught]

Looks like I'll be keeping my Nexus 6P for another year. I'll probably end up jumping ship to the iPhone before too long, though. Been with Android for 7 years, need a change.

 

[andythinkpad]

LOL google probably down sized the engineer team to 3 people to work on the refresh.

It's like a flagship car model from Mitsubishi.

 

[tokkun]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

Nah, look at it this way: If I've spent thousands of dollars on high quality headphones, why would I want to slum it with trash-tier bluetooth audio?

I have been doomsday prepping with a Lear BTC-01, which is allegedly an audiophile-class bluetooth adapter, to experiment with wireless audio with my custom IEMs and Pixel XL. It's a joke. High noise floor, poor battery life, and frequent connectivity issues. Most of the time it ends up being more hassle than a cable would be, and the sound quality ends up being worse than wired IEMs at 1/10 the price.

The horror.

Problem with that is you lose your ability to power the phone at the same time. Sucks for flying or long car trips.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Wireless being worth it should not preclude including a headphone jack for those who want to use it.

yes, that's why you have the option

Never said it shouldn’t be an option. I was saying that in this discussion the people who spout “batteries, worse quality, who needs it” never consider the utility of a lack of wires. I’m not saying it outweighs the other things for everyone, but it’s certainly a factor, and an important one for people

 

[Yjynx]

Why don't simply use an adapter?

 

[Killer Queen]

Never said it shouldn’t be an option. I was saying that in this discussion the people who spout “batteries, worse quality, who needs it” never consider the utility of a lack of wires. I’m not saying it outweighs the other things for everyone, but it’s certainly a factor, and an important one for people

Maybe they do and realize that because they don't outweigh the others it's not an argument worth mentioning.

 

[Zeyphersan]

Maybe they do and realize that because they don't outweigh the others it's not an argument worth mentioning.

.

Yeah, having worse quality headphones that require charging every night will be hard. I'm confused why people would not only willingly do that, but keep insisting that phones should only have the option for these headphones for no reason besides "it's the future".

 

[Killer Queen]

.

So in a sea of responses you've found one single example.

 

[Zeyphersan]

So in a sea of responses you've found one single example.

It was the one I was replying to that started this whole chain, so yes?

 

[ArtHands]

This makes no fucking sense, they were bagging on Apple last year for this exact thing.

Everyone bags on Apple for many things, that ended up Apple being right.
Remember Flash? Apple helps accelerate its death.

 

[Gattsu25]

GAF, where spending $600-$800 on a smartphone is the norm, but having to dish out $30 or more on wireless headphone options is an apocalyptic disaster.

Why would I pay a premium for a worse experience?

 

[opticalmace]

Shiet, I was planning on getting a Pixel 2 when it came out (my old Note 2 needs replacement).

Now I'm not sure what to do... S8? G6?

 

[Veritigo_X]

Not insisting, just looking at what the large manufacturers are doing. There's probably going to be less buying options for you if you insist on having 3.5mm.

That's fair, my "insisting" part of my post was more directed at people at folks trying to tell people to "get with the times."

Wireless is worth it. So, so worth it. There's a ton of utility in not being physically connected to a device you're using, be that your phone or tablet or computer.

Wireless does seem to have it's conveniences for sure, I just don't think it outweighs the negatives I posted. Not even close.

 

[Oblivion]

Pixel 2? Didn't the first one come out like two months ago?

 

[opticalmace]

Pixel 2? Didn't the first one come out like two months ago?

Last October

 

[Codeblue]

The horror.

They better have two USB C slots if a dongle is their solution.

 

[BladeoftheImmortal]

I'm a wireless headset aficionado. I'm never going back to wires.

Although skipping is much worse.

 

[Kurt Angle]

google really doesnt like sales do they

 

[cpp_is_king]

yes, that's why you have the option

Spoken like someone who's never designed a product for a billion users (not that I'm holding that against you obviously, few people have). Options are a liability, not a benefit. You only add them when a significant portion of your userbase absolutely needs it. And let's be honest, a significant portion don't actually care, and of the people who do, only a few have no alternative

 

[Erv]

I'm more upset about the half matte half glass finish on the back🙄