When Sony announced the Xperia XZ2 and XZ2 Compact earlier this month, our retro tech-loving hearts sank.
The company mostly responsible for pioneering the personal music era had followed the smartphone crowd and done away with the time-tested 3.5mm headphone jack.
Following the launch, the Walkman manufacturer attempted to explain why.
In a post on the Sony Mobile blog, it explained the change was necessary to accommodate the Ambient Flow design.
The firm wrote: “This is part of the shift to our new Ambient Flow design language. In order to create the beautiful seamless design, our designers needed to remove the headphone jack. Plus, we’re aware of the major market trend toward wireless headphones over wired headphones.”
Sony assured Xperia fans both handsets would arrive with an adapter, allowing headphones to be plugged into the phone’s charging port. The lack of the 3.5mm jack won’t damage the phone’s ability to transmit Hi-Res audio either.
Related: Sony Xperia XZ2 hands-on
Given the new Sony phones still have a significant ‘chin’ compared to other handsets on the market, it’s perhaps unfortunate for some that Sony ditched the port.
The most obvious explanation not mentioned by Sony’s blog post is the addition of some new stereo speakers, which are “fantastic sounding” judging by our recent hands-on.
Overall it feels like the biggest design overhaul Sony phones have enjoyed in a while, and it’s not before time.
Mobile editor Max Parker writes: “It isn’t only the front of the device that sees changes; this is a complete rework of the Xperia look-and-feel. The rear uses 3D Gorilla Glass 5 to create a curved finish that feels comfortable to hold, while the sides too are far more rounded. Previous Xperia models were so sharp they’d dig into your palms, but this won’t be an issue anymore.”
Are you sad to see the headphone jack depart from another big name smartphone? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
