Sony recently introduced a new set of Xperia X series phones and in fact, this year will be the first time the series will be refreshed.
There are talks of new Sony Xperia XZ phones in the making and apparently, these phones are to be unveiled at the ongoing CES 2017 event. While there is no official word from the Japanese tech giant regarding the possibility of seeing new Xperia XZ variants to add to the initial version released in 2016, it appears that one thing that will remain on the handsets this 2017 is the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The year 2017 saw new trends come to life in the smartphone world. First, it was the huge departure from the use of microUSB ports in favor of USB Type-C and Lightning Port for those using the Apple iPhone 7. The second trend that took many by a surprise was the ditching of the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of using the same USB-C port for Android devices while Apple users have to depend on the Lightning Port for the same audio listening through wired earphones.
Many companies have been making this move slowly and in fact, it has been rumored that Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus will also be getting rid of the 3.5mm headphone port when they are finally launched a few weeks from now. As for the new Sony Xperia phones coming this 2017, you can sit back rest assured that the 3.5mm headphone port still lives on.
The reasoning behind ditching the 3.5mm headphone port is that USB-C ports deliver better audio quality than the former. Rather than go with the crowd, Sony is after improving its own High-Res audio properties that started with the Xperia Z3 flagship. It has also been argued that removing the 3.5mm headphone jack will free up more internal space, thus allowing smartphone makers to come in with much thinner devices that also carry larger battery units.
Regardless of what the argument is with respect to the 3.5mm headphone and USB-C ports, Sony Xperia smartphones will be keeping the former, at least for the foreseeable future.
Do you prefer a 3.5mm headphone port or a universal USB Type-C port for audio listening? Share your views in the comments below.