Sony's smartphones, while perhaps not grabbing as much of the market's attention as other manufacturers' devices, have traditionally been pretty great handsets. At least on the hardware level. The cameras have been solid, the hardware worthwhile, and the company has managed to check off plenty of must-have boxes for customers over the years. For some folks, Sony is the perfect choice and the company they keep going back to.
Back when Sony was selling phones under the Sony Ericsson brand, I was a pretty big fan of the creations they came up with. They had phones that spun around to reveal the number pad, and handsets that were "designed for music," thanks to the Walkman brand tagging along. They were pretty cool devices, but, since then, I've sort of dropped off the wagon.
The hardware on Sony phones has never really pulled me away, but it's been the software. I'm not a huge fan of Sony's proprietary user interface, and if I basically have to re-skin and add apps to replace your own efforts --basically changing the entirety of the software experience-- I'm more likely to just use a different phone.
Plus, getting a Sony-branded smartphone from my carrier has been a nonstarter for many years.
One of the complaints lobbied against Sony recently is the fact it hasn't quite jumped on the same design bandwagon as the other companies out there. Basically, not adopting the bezel-less design. But it looks like the company has plans to fix that issue, because a major redesign for its hardware is on the way. And while the safe bet is that Sony will shrink the bezels, there is one hardware change I'm wondering if Sony will make with its next flagship: The 3.5mm headphone jack.
To some people, removing the headphone jack is simply user hostile and that's the end of the story. For others, it's not a big deal. For me, I just see it as an inevitability at this point, so I'm trying to just prepare accordingly (and hope wireless technology keeps improving). Some manufacturers have removed the port from their phones, and others haven't (yet).
I can't help but wonder what Sony will be doing with the headphone jack in its next flagship. Will Sony, a company that sells a range of wireless headphones, go the route that sees its phones remove the jack altogether? Or will the company's flagship keep it around for a little while longer?
The big question, to me, is whether or not you, as a customer, would consider a Sony-branded flagship smartphone if it didn't include the 3.5mm headphone jack. If Sony removes it, will this make their new device, even if it adopts the bezel-less design, looks great doing it, and offers all of the standard flagship features along with it, a no-go for you? Let me know!
Should Sony keep the headphone jack in its upcoming flagship? originally posted at http://phonedog.com
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