Will The Headphone Jack On Smartphones Ever Make A Retro Comeback?

For years, most smartphones had a headphone jack on the side of the device. Not anymore. Slowly but surely, manufacturers are getting rid of this relic from the past and replacing it with Bluetooth headphones. But does this mean that we'll eventually see a retro comeback for these devices?

Not likely! According to Kenneth Rockwell, Founder of AudioLava — an audio design company that creates "podcast solutions" — Bluetooth is way better than wired headphones because they're more convenient and easier to use."

"Although it's not likely that you'll be able to buy a modern smartphone with a headphone jack," Rockwell said," I could see manufacturers adding one at some point for those of us who still like 'em! Some people will just never use wireless headphones."

When the first smartphones hit shelves, they were bulky and full of buttons. Wireless headphones didn't exist yet — and you couldn't expect consumers to carry around several accessories. So, early smartphones came with a single jack for wired headphones.

Nowadays, most smartphones do not come with a headphone jack for connecting to wired or headphones. Even if a manufacturer wants to keep this as a feature on their product (rather than making it a niche), it's so integrated into their design that they're unable to change it without completely redesigning their phone (and this is why you won't see Apple, Samsung or Google reviving the headphone jack). Especially after Apple was the first to kill it on their iPhone7, a huge leap away from today's iPhone 14.

How the headphone jack lost its market share

The rise of wireless headphones was inevitable. Bluetooth 4.0 paired perfectly with smartphones, which allowed manufacturers to make their devices sleeker and wireless. As a result, you no longer need to reach into your pocket or bag for your earphones — you can simply tap a button on your device and put them on from there!

Wireless headphones are also way more comfortable than their wired counterparts because you're no longer limited by length or tangling wires: "The overall convenience of wireless is difficult to beat," said Rockwell. "Don't like wires? Then get a Bluetooth headset. Don't need audio streaming? Then get a simple audio adapter and point the microphone into your environment."

"Wireless headphones also tend to have better sound quality, as they use digital signals instead of analog ones like traditional wired earphones," Rockwell said. "The Bluetooth codec is much more effective than the one in the headphone jack."

How Bluetooth changed music

There are some problems with wired headphones that Bluetooth-connected devices simply don't have: other than the never-ending tangle of wires, there is another thing about wired earphones that can make you crazy: Phantom noises.

"Some people experience this every time they use audio gear with wires," he said, "and it's always the same problem: unwanted noises from the signal itself. The headphones are picking up noise from the power supply, the wires themselves, and other components."

"This is why I prefer Bluetooth headphones," he added. "Bluetooth is a digital signal, so you get none of the annoying background sounds to distract or annoy you. This type of noise is also referred to as 'ground loop hum' and it's usually caused by a ground imbalance between the audio source and headphones."

With Bluetooth technology, manufacturers don't need to worry about this — all you need is a good microphone and a battery pack. And that's why they generally cost a lot less than wired models.

In conclusion , Bluetooth headphones are not only better than wired earphones — they're also better suited for today's (and tomorrow's) smartphones: "The future of audio is wireless," said Rockwell. "It makes a lot more sense to transmit the audio feed without wires — it looks nicer, most wireless models sound better, and there are a lot less problems with interference."

So, while it's still safe to say that wired and wireless earphones are here to stay, you can expect more manufacturers to slowly phase out the headphone jack on a range of devices, not just smartphones.