The 3.5mm headphone jack is officially on tech’s endangered species list, but Microsoft appears to working on a plan to conserve it for future generations.
Redmond has been granted a patent on tech that could help keep headphone jacks a part of ever-thinning mobile devices.
The patent, first reported by MSPoweruser, describes an expandable jack as a “plug receptacle for an electronic device.”
Essentially, it would devices to be thinner than the 3.5mm jack, yet still include one.
The port would slide out and expand, allowing a user to insert a wired headphone or speaker.
The site reports:
“By using an expandable headphone jack, the thickness of the body of a device is no longer an issue. A flexible jacket around a TRS or TRRS connector using spring loaded contactors makes the appropriate electrical connections and keeps a firm connection.”
Microsoft’s solution is shown in various potential forms within the filing that could prove popular among some tech fans.
A large number of smartphone manufacturers have ditched the 3.5mm jack, most notably the iPhone 7, 8 and X range.
Related: Best wireless headphones
Google’s new Pixel 2 devices dispensed with the headphone jack, but Samsung’s 2017 flagship phones kept it in place.
Whether OEMs would be willing to adopt this new technology remains to be seen.
Does the presence of a headphone jack (or lack thereof) inform your smartphone purchasing habits? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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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.
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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.