Off Topic: 3.5mm Audio Port Almost Gone from High End Phones, Consider Samsung Note 9
August 7th, 2019Off Topic – First World Problems
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Update: Samsung, You’ve Let Yourself Down, You’ve Let Us Down
Via: Android Authority:
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Update: Samsung Is Hiding Its Ads That Made Fun of Apple’s Removal of Headphone Jack
Via: Android Authority:
Yesterday, Samsung made the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and Note 10 Plus official. The release of the two new flagships is bittersweet for many Note fans, though, because neither device comes with a headphone jack. It appears Samsung wants to gloss over this fact by not only declining to mention it at all during yesterday’s launch event but by also attempting to hide its past advertisements.
The company’s decision to remove the much-beloved smartphone port isn’t too surprising considering multiple other OEMs — including Huawei, OnePlus, Google, and obviously Apple — have already done so. However, Samsung was the longest holdout and also the most vocal critic of those other OEMs and their choice to ditch the port, especially when it comes to Apple.
Over the past few years, there have been multiple high-profile Samsung ads that heavily criticized Apple’s iPhone design limitations, specifically towards the removal of the headphone jack and the notched display on the iPhone X and XS. These ads are no longer on Samsung’s official United States YouTube channel and appear to be erased from other official sources as well.
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A retailer in NZ (Noel Leeming) recently had a two day, deep discount sale on Samsung Note 9 smartphones. I bought one, along with a lot of other people, and we completely cleared them out of stock.
I’ve only ever owned two smartphones before the Samsung Note 9; a Samsung Note 4 and a Samsung Note 2. While the Note 4 is getting very long in the tooth, it’s pretty much ok for what I need it to do, and that’s even after Samsung crippled the Note 4 with an over the air update a couple of years ago.
Why buy a Note 9 if the Note 4 is adequate?
As the years passed, I’ve watched the headphone jack disappear from more and more phones. Despite manufacturers trying to convince people that this is, “Progress,” I like the headphone jack, I want the headphone jack. Most importantly, I won’t buy a phone without the headphone jack.
As a Samsung user, I didn’t care too much about the silly trend of manufacturers removing the headphone jack from phones, because Samsung seemed committed to including it on even their flagship phones. I planned to keep using my ancient Note 4 until it physically broke or apps started crashing because the Android version was so old. I’d then go out and buy whatever the latest Samsung Note happened to be (during the clearance sales before the next one was announced, of course) and continue on as before…
Now, like every (Northern Hemisphere) summer, it’s Samsung Note announcement season. The Note 10 will be announced later today in New York.
With Samsung — the last major holdout — seemingly on board with the effort to kill the 3.5mm headphone jack, the war on the headphone jack is effectively over, and the dongles have won.
The Note 10 will also have an annoying hole punch/camera cutout on the display, similar to the S10 phones.
I refuse to use a dongle in order to listen to my outstanding Beyerdynamic DT770 or Tin Audio T2 headphones. I also refuse to use wireless headphones. Samsung has avoided Apple’s shit for brains dongle insanity for years, but that changes today.
Well, Samsung, you did it. You got my money one last time because I want a great camera AND a 3.5mm port. As far as I can tell, if those are the criteria, the Samsung S10 variants and the Note 9 are pretty much it. However, the S10 devices all have that asinine hole punch front camera design.
Anyway, in case you care about such things, the Note 9 is probably your last chance to get a high performance phone with a 3.5mm audio port (and without a hole punch display):
Samsung Galaxy Note9 N960U 128GB Unlocked 4G LTE
As people have figured out that newer doesn’t mean better with the Note 10, prices on remaining Note 9 phones have been increasing. The Amazon price (link above) fluctuates wildly.
For reference, I spent NZ$849 (US$546) on my Note 9, factory unlocked, brand new, sealed retail box. That was, by far, the cheapest the phone ever sold for new in NZ, and probably the cheapest it will ever sell for here. If you can get one for under US$550 new, that would be a good deal.
Finally, I’d suggest using a protective cover with this phone. I chose the Samsung Galaxy Note9 Rugged Protective Cover with Kickstand, EF-RN960CBEGUS. It’s perfect. Highly recommended.
Huawei/Honor, to its credit, seems to have been listening to its users’ complaints, and is at least alternating year-to-year. The P30 has the jack, while the P30 Pro does not.