While many people have abandoned audio cables in favour of Bluetooth headphones or earbuds, some of us still prefer the convenience and reliability of wired headphones plugged into a phone’s old-school 3.5mm headphone jack. Despite the move towards wireless technology, it’s still possible to find some phones with a headphone jack.
After the Sony Walkman cassette player launched the portable audio age in the late 1970s, the ubiquitous headphone jack ensured that music lovers were always wired for sound.
Once mobile phones became portable music players, many handsets adopted the headphone jack for connecting wired headphones or earbuds.
The fall of the 3.5mm headphone jack
It wasn’t until the late 2000s that the first Android smartphones began to turn their back on the humble 3.5mm headphone jack, in favour of a USB adaptor.
The very first Android handsets, 2008’s HTC Dream and 2009’s HTC Magic, lacked a headphone jack. A few other Android devices followed the trend but, when Apple’s iPhone 7 abandoned the connector in 2016, it was seen as a significant nail in the coffin for the portable audio stalwart.
Since then, the rise of high-quality Bluetooth codecs, the quest for thinner smartphones and the drive to reduce component costs have all been factors in the headphone jack’s demise.
Phones with a 3.5mm headphone jack in Australia
Today, smartphones with 3.5mm headphone jacks would seem a dying breed, as people abandon cables in favour of wireless headphones and earbuds. Yet the headphone jack lives on, if you know where to look.
For Apple fans, the 2016 iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus and original iPhone SE were the last iPhones to sport a 3.5mm headphone jack. All of which have been discontinued and can’t be upgraded beyond iOS 15.
It’s a different story in the Android world, although headphone jacks are rare amongst mid-range handsets and more common at the budget and flagship ends of the spectrum.
At the extreme budget end, shoppers might not be able to afford Bluetooth headphones, while at the flagship end, audiophiles might have already invested in premium wired headphones.
Budget phones
The $179 Aspera Nitro 2 running Android Go is one option when looking for a smartphone with a headphone jack on a very tight budget.
Motorola is perhaps the Android handset maker that has remained the most committed to the 3.5mm headphone jack. Models featuring a headphone jack include the Moto G series G04, G14, G24, G54 and G84, as well as their predecessors. Plus the Moto E series E13 and E32, but not the more expensive Moto Edge and Razr series.
Then you’ve got the Samsung Galaxy A series A05, A15 and A25, but not the A35 or A55, nor the Galaxy S and Galaxy Z series. Plus the entire Oppo A series A18, A38, A58, A60, A78, A79 and A98, but not the Oppo Reno range.
Premium phones
At the other end of the spectrum, you’ve got the flagship $1,599 Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra and Asus ROG Phone 8 sporting a 3.5mm headphone jack. Then there’s much of the Sony Xperia range, including the Xperia 1 VI, along with the discontinued LG V60.
Other less-known brands worth investigating for a headphone jack in Australia include OnePlus, Xiaomi, Realme and ZTE. It may be slim pickings when it comes to finding phones with a headphone jack, but there are some decent options if you know where to look.
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