Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday September 12 2018, @04:41AM   Printer-friendly
from the they-can't-hear-you dept.

PC World has an article on why USB-C has not been a viable alternative for the 3.5mm audio jack. Problems with USB-C include variable handling of digital to audio conversion, incompatible SOCs inside the cable, and non-standard analog-passthrough. In short, the cables which contain computers themselves are not standardized in behavior and the author's conclusion is that mobile devices must have 3.5mm jacks until the USB-C cable technology gets sorted out enough that they become usable.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 12 2018, @05:41AM (3 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 12 2018, @05:41AM (#733499)

    ...bringing back the headphone jack until they come up with a good reason to take it away?

    Starting Score:    0  points
    Moderation   +2  
       Insightful=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Insightful' Modifier   0  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by MostCynical on Wednesday September 12 2018, @05:51AM (1 child)

    by MostCynical (2589) on Wednesday September 12 2018, @05:51AM (#733501) Journal

    Sales.
    Bluetooth everything.

    Want your old wired headphones still? Buy a bluetooth adapter!

    Compressed, lousy, lossy, streamed and youtube music never sounded so good!

    --
    "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
    • (Score: 2) by richtopia on Wednesday September 12 2018, @03:27PM

      by richtopia (3160) on Wednesday September 12 2018, @03:27PM (#733654) Homepage Journal

      I suspect the headphone jack is more of a cost/size issue. With the entire phone nearing 5mm thickness the 3.5mm headphone jack is quite large. Additionally accommodating it in the board layout, and rating the port for dust/water tolerance are calories that could be saved. I do not plan on purchasing a phone without a 3.5mm jack but I can understand why the industry would like to migrate away from a connector designed for transistor radios of the 1950s.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by DannyB on Wednesday September 12 2018, @04:57PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday September 12 2018, @04:57PM (#733707) Journal

    They already have a good reason to take away the headphone jack.

    They can sell you multiple expensive other products to replace it.

    Expensive bluetooth speakers instead of simple self powered speakers that plug into the headphone jack.

    Expensive bluetooth headsets that add more latency to phone conversations.

    Expensive dongles and cable adapters which provide a headphone jack. (And possibly latency as well)

    And these headsets, speakers and adapters are expensive to replace if lost or stolen. Being expensive is helpful to increase the likelihood of them being stolen.

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.