Another Nail in the Coffin for 3.5 mm Headphone Jacks as Intel Backs USB-C Headphones

Another Nail in the Coffin for 3.5 mm Headphone Jacks as Intel Backs USB-C Headphones
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The classic 3.5mm headphone jack has been in use since the 1950’s, but it may finally be on its way out – and not just on the iPhone 7. According to a recent report from Anandtech, one point of discussion at Intel’s recent developer conference surrounded replacing the 3.5mm headphone jack with a USB-C connector.

The “trend” of eliminating the headphone jacks from devices began last November, when rumors began to surface that Apple’s iPhone 7 would be foregoing the traditional headphone jack in order to achieve a slimmer design. Instead of headphones utilizing the traditional 3.5mm headphone port, Apple will likely opt for Bluetooth-enabled headphones, or possibly headphones that utilize Apple’s Lightning Port. Several companies already offer headphones that are powered by the Lightning port, capable of delivering improved sound quality, active noise cancellation, app control, and more.

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Those same features could be found in a USB-C powered pair of headphones, which is what Intel is proposing laptops, tablets, and mobile phones begin transitioning over to. In addition to the features noted above, Intel argues that real estate on today’s devices is at such a premium, there simply isn’t room for a single-purpose port like the traditional 3.5mm headphone connector.

Much like the Lightning port, USB-C is capable of high-speed data transfers, as well as provide power and, well, audio in an efficient manner. Using a USB-C or Lightning port would also allow for more “smart” integration into users’ headphones – as Anandtech points out, headphones of the future may “gain some additional features, such as a thermal sensor in an earpiece [that] could measure temperature for fitness tracking.”

Like it or not, it appears as if the traditional headphone jack will soon go the way of DVD drives on laptops or parallel ports on desktops. Although the transition may not go smoothly right away, products supporting USB-C audio are already popping up. JBL has already announced a pair of earbuds, the Reflect Aware C, that include active noise cancellation and are powered by a USB-C plug.

And Chinese electronics company LeEco have recently introduced three new smartphones – the Le 2, Le 2 Pro, and Le Max 2, that forego the 3.5mm headphone jack for USB-C ports – beating Apple to the punch by several months. It will be interesting to see if other devices by popular manufacturers will follow the lead here, and if so, where the market will head in the near future.

Will you miss traditional wired headphones? Let us know in the comments below.

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