Razer shunned the 3.5mm headphone jack with its Razer Phone for good reasons: to make way for a bigger battery and better cooling.
Ditching the beloved audio jack was a move that really started with the iPhone 7, with others, like Google with its Pixel 2 phones, eventually following suite. The likes of Samsung and OnePlus staunchly standby the 3.5mm port
With its first ever smartphone Razer fell into the former camp, which some argue is part and parcel of the march of mobile technology. But the annoyance of needing to use a dongle with your favourite wired headphones still stings many people.
But the Razer Phone is gaming and video focused with its high refresh rate display, so it needs a big battery to keep it going and decent heat management to make it comfortable to hold for some time.
Razer chief executive Min-Liang Tan said that leaving the 3.5mm headphone jack out of the Razer Phone allowed for the battery to be increased by 500mAh, as well as allow space for better quality phone hardware.
“The trade off was not having the jack – but what sealed it for me was that we were able to get audiophile quality sound with the dedicated 24-Bit THX Certified DAC adapter – and I made sure we included that with every phone. Which basically means we give even better quality headphone audio for those who want to hold on to their analogue headphones,” he explained in a Facebook post.
“So in short, removing the headphone jack gave better performance, more battery – and on top of that, better headphone audio performance with existing headphones and the option to go completely wireless or jacked in via USB.”
Living the ‘dongle life’ may not be right for some, but Bluetooth headphones are available for the wireless option, and the Razer Phone offers some niche features for people willing to let go of the venerable 3.5mm jack.
Related: Cyber Monday UK
Are you willing to let the 3.5mm jack become a thing of the past? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook.
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.
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.
