this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
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While they were happy with what the fairphone 4 brought to the table, they seem to like what was changed for the fairphone 5.
What are you guys' opinions on this? A welcome change? would you get one if your phone died within the next year?

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[–] Sanyanov@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

The difference here is that 3,5mm jacks are not obsolete.

Nobody besides a few grumpy folks opposed the switch from microUSB to Type-C, for example, because we got something better instead.

Floppy drives got obsolete, because again, we got something better - disks! And then flash drives! Always a better, more convenient and functional option.

3,5 mm jack, however, is still completely relevant and is not replaced by anything. It is the only widely adopted consumer-grade standard for analog wired audio. Wireless audio has objective drawbacks: one more battery to control, lower reliability, poorer sound quality (not a big issue with most phones since their DACs are normally not audiophile-grade anyway, but still), higher price, pairing issues, and many more. And USB-C to 3,5mm dongles are obviously terrible: they can get lost, they don't allow you to listen to music while charging your phone/transferring files, and they are yet another component to manage.

Essentially, wireless audio has been pushed down our throats, and we do not appreciate that. For me, not having a 3,5mm jack is one of the criterions that immediately kill any desire to buy that phone. It will just be a massive pain in the ass for me, and I don't want that.

[–] VOwOxel@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

agree, and not just for 3,5mm jacks. If there is a way to do it with a cable, i will choose the cable instead of a wireless solution. The only time I didn't was with a wireless mouse that, after a while, I just kept on the cable anyway. They are so very convenient, especially the 3,5mm jack.

[–] Sanyanov@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago

Yes, same applies to everything. Thank God USB exists and powers so many wired (and also wireless) devices.

Also, Ethernet on computers is a must.