Google: The Pixel 2’s USB-C Port Is Its Headphone Jack

Megalith

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Per Google Community Manager “Orrin”: “The Pixel 2 still comes with a headphone jack, but we have moved to USB-C, a standard that is becoming commonplace in the best phones and laptops of today. Moving to the USB-C audio port with Pixel 2 allows us to provide a better audio and digital experience, as we move towards a bezel-less future.”

We realize that some of you might be looking for USB-C headphones, and we want to provide some guidance around headphone compatibility with Pixel 2 devices. The main thing to keep in mind is that Pixel 2 devices are compatible with USB-C headphones that support digital audio.
 
This is the sort of thing that i WANT to happen (usb-c) but I don’t want to go through the transition.

USB-c is better than lightening at least.
 
I guess the plus side for me is that my UE IEMs have the option of buying a Lightning Cable (and I assume USBC will follow at some point), but I still think this is crap, unless I can charge and listen to music and watch videos while charging the device on the go (i.e. when it's not practical to use wireless charging). That said, given that Apple has a Lightning to USB adapter that takes an external power connection (in addition to the USB port), maybe they're going to do a dual lightning input, where one supplies power and the other is for headphones/mic).
 
Oh yeah, it has nothing to do with forcing people to consider Google's own wireless earbuds. They're doing us a favor.

I can use my junk to count the number of people I know who would notice the difference, if any, between 3.5mm and USB-C sound quality.

But lol at this guy...

Expert - Top Contributor
ScottG_TC
No functionality is lost by this change. You can still charge and still listen to music. Those functions remain.

Maybe easy of doing both simultaneously are gone but that doesn't mean the functionality is gone.

Yeah, everything is still there. You gotta jump through some dumb fucking hoop to get to it, but it's all still there. PROGRESS!
 
I'm seeing the pixel more as a vanilla android device than a premium one. No water resistance, no dual camera, no headphone jack, large bezels, no sd, no removable battery... So what is premium? Oh yeah, the price!
 
my issue is they should of moved the charging port to the top of the phone so it more natural to use like a headphone jack
 
I'm seeing the pixel more as a vanilla android device than a premium one. No water resistance, no dual camera, no headphone jack, large bezels, no sd, no removable battery... So what is premium? Oh yeah, the price!

I agree with you about the headphone jack, bezels and SD slot. As an S8+ owner (purchased unlocked on sale for $525), the Galaxy is overall a better value from what I can tell so far. The S8+ offers a higher screen to body ratio than the iPhone X or Pixel, has an SD card slot, is better IP rated at IP68, and has a headphone jack.

That said, both new Pixels are IP67 rated and the cameras are usually pretty good (still need to wait for reviews but initial DxO score is highest yet). I am not aware of a water resistant phone with a removable battery--pretty sure that those things are pretty contradictory and that you are expecting too much if you expect to get both. Both Pixels also have dual speakers which I really liked about the Nexus 6P I used to have.
 
I should try buying a Pixel 2 "The pennies ARE the hundred dollar bills! Amazing right?!"
 
I agree with you about the headphone jack, bezels and SD slot. As an S8+ owner (purchased unlocked on sale for $525), the Galaxy is overall a better value from what I can tell so far. The S8+ offers a higher screen to body ratio than the iPhone X or Pixel, has an SD card slot, is better IP rated at IP68, and has a headphone jack.

That said, both new Pixels are IP67 rated and the cameras are usually pretty good (still need to wait for reviews but initial DxO score is highest yet). I am not aware of a water resistant phone with a removable battery--pretty sure that those things are pretty contradictory and that you are expecting too much if you expect to get both. Both Pixels also have dual speakers which I really liked about the Nexus 6P I used to have.

How much bloatware does the S8+ come with if you buy it direct? My wife bought the S6 from Verizon and it's infested with shit like Peel Remote (that serves ads and adds a lock screen) that you can't disable, just roll back to the factory version.
 
How much bloatware does the S8+ come with if you buy it direct? My wife bought the S6 from Verizon and it's infested with shit like Peel Remote (that serves ads and adds a lock screen) that you can't disable, just roll back to the factory version.

There are some Samsung version of apps (an internet browser, galaxy app store, email, calendar app and photo gallery) that cannot be removed but nothing overpowering. I prefer the google versions so i have like the 9 or so duplicate functions thrown in a folder. Samsung cut down on the bloat for the unlocked S8 but I can't speak for the carrier versions. Not a big deal and isn't too obnoxious.

Only thing that really annoys me is that in place of Google assistant you have Bixby which doesn't work half as well when you swipe left to the screen where Google assistant was on the Nexus 6P. There is a dedicated physical Bixby button that would be wonderful if you could rebind it to say a camera open or Google assistant but Samsung doesn't let you. They did eventually cave and let you disable it entirely. You can still access Google assistant through long press of home.
 
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So its like most nintendo products?
Um, have you bought a single Nintendo product since the SP in the mid 2000s? They all have a headphone port that is independent of the charger, in fact if have to break out my collection but I think the SP was the only one to have that problem...
 
I LL at these companies, did you users really request paper thin phones/computers that overheat, have limited battery capacity because are too thin to accommodate larger batteries, did users really want bezeless made of easy breakable glass/plastics, did users really want to move away from normal 3.5mm jacks which work perfectly fine and are very low cost in comparison,

I guess not, we want them to be overpriced, paper thin, easy to break, and really really want to go out of our way to buy more expensive earbuds/heaphones on a connection that has more or less proven itself to be less durable so we can than be "forced" to bring it into an authorized repair place to get jacked again on the cost because "NORMAL" wear and tear is not covered under warranty(even when the company at fault for due diligence to prevent it) even when the connection point such as micro usb (usb in general) are not as secure a connection IMO as good old works perfectly fine 3.5mm for audio. I have yet to see a "thin" any usb type that is as secure ad durable as a standard 3.5mm cable.

Users should be given the "privilege" of charging AND listening/using, guess that is too much to ask along with not being paper thin, easy to break glass everywhere that is extra slippery..what looks great on a stand is not great in a users hand FFS manufacturers, guess it is one of those things, as long as people keep buying their stupidity, they will keep making stupid things :D
 
I am not aware of a water resistant phone with a removable battery--pretty sure that those things are pretty contradictory and that you are expecting too much if you expect to get both.

The Galaxy S5 was IP67 rated and had a removable battery.

I'll say the same thing to Google that I said to apple.

Fuck off.

That is a bullshit attempt to justify an anti consumer change and everyone knows it. It isn't for one second about "higher audio quality".

Fun fact, the "higher quality digital audio" has been part of Android for a few generations now. It's co-existed with the headphone jack just fine.

So the extra spin is that .. surprise! We didn't add any functionality.
 
I'll say the same thing to Google that I said to apple.

Fuck off.

That is a bullshit attempt to justify an anti consumer change and everyone knows it. It isn't for one second about "higher audio quality".
I don't know the motivation, but I don't see how the audio is better either, since the audio coming out is analog, just like it is with a headphone jack.
 
Um, have you bought a single Nintendo product since the SP in the mid 2000s? They all have a headphone port that is independent of the charger, in fact if have to break out my collection but I think the SP was the only one to have that problem...

I'm pretty sure you're right. My old gameboy had a headphone jack, as do the DS lite, 3DS, and Switch. I can't speak to the original GBA (never had one).
 
V20 here and I enjoy my quad dac with my headphones. They sound amazing.

I bought and tried several Bluetooth solutions and maybe I am just too picky, but they all sounded like low quality earbuds with Bluetooth , plus they only lasted what, I hours.... When I want music I don't want to find MOR CHARGERS.
 
V20 here and I enjoy my quad dac with my headphones. They sound amazing.

I bought and tried several Bluetooth solutions and maybe I am just too picky, but they all sounded like low quality earbuds with Bluetooth , plus they only lasted what, I hours.... When I want music I don't want to find MOR CHARGERS.

I use a Creative E3 Bluetooth portable DAC/amp which seems good enough for me. Sure at $80 it's a bit more than a simple Bluetooth adapter dongle. but it works well for me..
 
When are they going to realize that completely bezel-less sucks! I want to be able to handle the phone without accidentally pressing stuff! Also, I very much doubt any USB-C headphone solution could be on par with my V20 without being a separate DAC-unit...
They are only pushing this because they think it looks pretty. User-friendly and practical features is completely out. Give me a thin bezel that offers grip without touching the screen, give me user replaceable batteries (the number one fix on a failing phone, plus practical if you do a lot of heavy stuff with the phone such as 4K filming), Give me expandable storage. I wouldn't mind a mSATA or m.2 or something. And a good built in DAC does not hurt either.
 
..., as we move towards a bezel-less future.”
Properly translated- "As we move to a more fragile future."

The more bezel-LESS these devices become, the more breakable, more expensive the repair/replacement and more often they are instantly entombed in military grade cases, as a result. Moving toward a bezel-less future appears to be a move toward the moronic in the case of design and engineering as it meets the real world.
 
My S8+ has USB-C and a headphone jack, and the infinity edge, and no home button, and... oh shit it must be defying the laws of physics for what can be done!
 
I kind of like this but the real problem I see is the fragility of usb jacks. They already get a lot of use and delegating more to it seems like a bad idea. However if maybe they went with a design where the pins were a part of the bezel or some such then this could be a really cool thing.
 
This is bullshit...and this response is bullshit too. I wont use a dongle...especially since I can't listen to wired headphones and charge at the same time. And no, I won't adapt to this "trend"...I will just vote with my wallet and buy a phone with a good old STANDARD 3.5mm jack!
 
It's a nice way for Apple and Google to move the DAC and amp outside the phone, cut costs on their end, and force you to pay for it separately on any headphones you buy. Sure is convenient they have some new wireless headphones for sale. And you can imagine the quality of a DAC and amp crammed into a USB to analog adapter, or into some wireless headphones. It's the lowest quality junk they can get away with.

The fact that they actually have the gall to tell us they're doing us a favor is the real slap in the face.
 
[...]
The fact that they actually have the gall to tell us they're doing us a favor is the real slap in the face.
I think that is par for the course with any company, some just hide their contempt for consumers getting in the way of their profits a wee bit better.

What is actually a slap in the face are the useful idiots who defend such companies. Paid shills I can live with. The evangelical worshipers of every little decision a corporation makes are completely insufferable.
 
They are only pushing this because they think it looks pretty.
This is pretty much what I assume, too.

I said it in an iPhone thread recently, and I'll say it again: Apple is the only company with the balls to lead and make design choices that go against the prevailing market wisdom, which is a bad thing for everyone. The more they emphasize aesthetics at the expense of utility (i.e., the smartphone is fundamentally a status symbol and fashion statement for non-techies), the more everyone else clamors to follow in their footsteps. Someone argued in that iPhone thread that big boys like Google and Samsung wouldn't have any reason to fall in line behind Apple's design choices, but I'm not buying it. I mean, it's stupid and doesn't make a lot of sense for them to do that, but I'm convinced it's happening anyway due to a confluence of unfortunate circumstances. In the case of Samsung, I suspect they (especially their marketing team) have some sort of inferiority complex due to Apple being American and seen as this premium "aspirational" brand in Asia. In the case of Google, the Nexus/Pixel division has always seemed undersized and underfunded, so they really don't have the clout or backing to innovate on a mass scale that one might infer based on the size of their parent company.

Anyway, none of this is changing anytime soon, and all the items on your wishlist (which I largely share) are only going to become less common or extinct. Apple may technically have a minority of the smartphone market, but their dominance and image among the most coveted demographics has allowed them to frame what a smartphone fundamentally is in the eyes of all the other major players. Those of us who see them as mini-computers that need lots of features, ports, and durability are, quite simply, fucked.
 
I'm pretty sure you're right. My old gameboy had a headphone jack, as do the DS lite, 3DS, and Switch. I can't speak to the original GBA (never had one).

I collect so Yea, this caught me off guard lol, but I've got everything from first GB to switch and that is the only one I recall that didn't have a headphone port. Shit, even my virtual boy has a headphone ports lol. I'd break them out but my "collection" room is still under process lol, I've finally got the walls studded in tho
 
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