If you're looking for a new flagship phone with a built-in headphone jack, your options are rapidly diminishing – but it now looks very likely that the rumored Sony Xperia 1 VI will give you at least one option in 2024.
A new post on X (formerly Twitter) from Sony Xperia Global (spotted by Notebook Check) suggest that Sony will continue to include a 3.5mm jack in its Xperia lineup. While the post only mentions current models like the Xperia 1 V, the unsubtle hint is that new models will continue to offer the feature.
The Xperia 1 VI has been tipped to launch in May, although this is largely based on the fact that the last two models in the series have been announced during that month.
Recently, we heard rumors on Weibo (spotted by Fonearena) that Sony might be dropping its 4K display on on the Xperia 1 VI and swapping it for a '2K Plus' one with a wider aspect ratio. But while that might disappoint fans of the series' 21:9 screens, at least the headphone jack appears to be safe.
For that unique wired listening experience, we continue to ensure all lines of Xperia come with a 3.5mm jack.#Sony #Xperia #SonyXperia #Xperia1V #Xperia5V #Xperia10VMarch 23, 2024
We've long rated the Xperia 1 series as the best for music, and not just because they have a headphone jack for the best wired headphones.
Last year's Sony Xperia 1 V also offered a new stereo speaker amp, plus support for Dolby Sound and 360 Reality Audio, which we called a "veritable banquet of audio options". So while the Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra did also recently arrive with a 3.5mm port, audiophiles will be hoping the Xperia 1 VI continues Sony's musical trend.
Going solo
The Sony Xperia 1 VI won't be the only new phone you can buy in 2024 with a headphone jack, if it indeed continues to offer one. But outside the new Asus Zenfone 11 Ultra, it'll probably be the closest thing to a flagship phone with a 3.5mm port.
At MWC 2024, we heard about the ZTE's Nubia Music Phone, which is planning to buck the headphone jack trend in spectacular fashion by including two of the things. The vinyl-styled phone will also have a massive DTS:X-certified speaker on its rear panel, but it's otherwise expected to be a mid-range phone.
Some even cheaper phones like the Motorola Moto G84 and the incoming Punkt MC02, which is the Swiss company's first smartphone, also offer headphone jacks. Otherwise, there's also Samsung's rugged, business-friendly XCover7 phone, but it's hardly a mainstream consumer offering.
The trend among flagship phones has been to move away from them, with only niche audio offerings like FiiO's new CP13 tape player offering a 3.5mm jack on portable music players.
Choice is always a good thing, so we'll be happy to see the Sony Xperia 1 VI continue to offer the feature – particularly it also arrives alongside other much-needed features like an improved optical zoom.
