Weekend Discussion: Would you care if your next laptop had no 3.5 mm audio jack?

[Redaktion]

Our 'Weekend Discussion' series asks questions and "what if" scenarios to our readers about how they use their smartphones, laptops, or other portable devices with the intention of encouraging insightful discussions. For this week, we want to know how you would feel about potentially losing the 3.5 mm audio jack on your next Ultrabook purchase.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Weekend-Discussion-Would-you-care-if-your-next-laptop-had-no-3-5-mm-audio-jack.434781.0.html

[Dan6]

Not really, I use either an external DAC or just wireless headphones depending on where I am.

[opelit]

I dont even remember a time when i used this.

[Taylor]

I still refuse to buy a smartphone without a headphone jack so probably wouldn't like it. Granted I wouldn't buy an ultrabook anyway due to usually not liking their keyboards

[johnnyy]

personally i use i use the jack on my laptop religiously and so many of my friends do too, but if my laptop didn't come with one i'd buy an usb dac just so i can use the jack. Still prefer if it comes with one though

[palash]

I use pro audio applications. That means i mainly use an audio interface and external amp. But for quick checks, 3.5 mm is necessary.

Phone or Laptop. It has to have a headphone jack, notebookcheck should do a list of 10 smartphones with a headphone jack

[SAW]

The last 5 years do not use. I have Marshall wireless.

[xpclient]

Yes I would actively avoid buying any PC without a 3.5 mm jack. I am not "afraid of change", I like having choices and options that enable more possibilities.

[A]

I care about it more on my cellphone than my laptop, but I'd only tolerate it if I get an extra USB-C port and a free adapter.

[CmdrEvil]

My last laptop had 2 headphone jacks, dedicated mic port and SPDIF.
Current one has 1 audio jack, 1 mic, 1 SPDIF.
To drop jack completely? You having a laugh?
I might not use these ports regularly, or hardly ever but I'm still glad they are there. It's not like laptops don't have room to fit in few extra ports.

[JHWings]

Lemme start by saying your website, and what you do, is really really good.
I will not consider a laptop without a 3.5mm headphone jack, cuz I see good wired headphones as absolutely necessary to everyday life with a laptop. I'm never a fan of over the ears headsets, and true wireless earphones still don't have enough battery life to take away my battery anxiety. Plus, why banish the jack for all laptops, when most 13in laptops have more than enough room for all kinds of ports and a battery that can last a day? Does not make any sense.
You can argue that a phone can do without a 3.5mm jack, with somewhat legit reasons (I disagree with all of them, cuz Huawei P30 has a jack, and still outperforms most phones in all areas), but most of the arguments that apply to phones do not apply to laptops, unless you're an Apple fanboy.

[skoda9635]

It's okay to get rid of a jack on 13 inch ultrabook. But I don't need thin laptop nor 13 inch laptop. So on 14 inch and bigger 3.5 jack is a must have because DJs use them, audiophiles also use them and listen to the music on a hi-end headphones. It can be excused on a phone but not on a laptop to get rid of a jack.

[vrvly]

Because of how is 3.5Jack used, I would welcome then +1 USB port and reduction to 3.5 jack. Otherwise it would be downgrade.

[heffeque]

If it saves 1 € to build... I prefer to pay that extra €. No real reason to take it out. I use it quite often.

[ThunderBolt3]

So you're telling me that laptops can be so thin and/or lack so much space that they can't even have a 3.5mm headphone jack?
Sorry, I'm not buying this.