Got headphone jacks? Looks like HTC is the latest smartphone manufacturer to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack. The company just announced its ‘U Ultra,’ which will use the convenient ‘USB-C’ jack. Hooray!
It’s hard to say who’s being a bigger asshole to their fans: Apple or HTC. Or, the next smartphone manufacturer to get rid of the ultra-convenient, 3.5mm headphone jack.
Either way, we’re all screwed. And, doomed to a future of competing, semi-usable headphone jacks that make our lives more complicated, annoying, and expensive.
With inferior sound quality.
I’d say ‘get ready,’ but it’s already happening. You’re already using a Lightning adapter on your iPhone 7. Or, maybe you’re holding onto your dying iPhone 6 so you don’t have to get a 7 (right on cue, mine started malfunctioning). Perhaps you’re struggling with your new Bluetooth-enabled, bulls–t earbuds you got for Christmas.
Face it: you’re already three inches into this pile. Now, we’re all going to sink a little more.
The HTC ‘U Ultra’
Enter HTC, whose upcoming ‘U Ultra’ device will omit the 3.5mm jack entirely. That is, the jack that you’ve been using probably since you were born. And, the one attached to your favorite three headphones (for which you’ll now need adapters).
But this gets even worse. According to the company, the new, amazing ‘U Ultra’ will employ the USB-C jack. Which is just like Apple’s Lightning jack in terms of overall lameness (which is a word).
Basically, the USB-C exists on almost no other phones or devices. Sort of like the Lightning jack.
Actually, it’s even worse. Here’s what is looks like.
As you can see, this USB-C jack doesn’t really help the device much. It bulges the design, unlike the space-saving Lightning jack (which still sucks, too).
Or, you can use wireless, which remains a mediocre connection technology. Great for workouts, but that’s about it. That’s right: Bluetooth stinks for a variety of reasons, and is still a few years from ‘prime time’. But thank you Apple and HTC for making us pay 8 times the cost for something that connects 80% of the time.
I have the predecessor — the HTC 10 — and it already has the USB-C as a charging port, so that’s nothing new.
Love HTC’s design and user interface, but the actual call quality and reception on the HTC 10 is awful. I’m actually switching to an iPhone 7 tonight, after being an Android user for eight years.
Horrible business move. I know you’re trying to make the phone “thinner” but it screams cash grab. Analog > Digital
Definitely a dumb move,but USB (any version) is not proprietary.