Smartphones without a headphone jack are dumb

For the first time, I bought a phone without a 3.5mm audio jack - the Nothing Phone 3a Pro. None of the phones I considered had one. I always thought the trend of getting rid of them was stupid, but it's even worse than I thought.

I do use Bluetooth headphones most of the time I'm listening to something. But even so, I still use simple wired plugs every day as well. They're easy to connect, always work, and never need charging.

Since I had no choice, I decided to buy one of those USB-C to 3.5mm conversion cables. The cheapest one cost 10€. That's pretty ridiculous, especially considering that until recently I've been using a pair of Panasonic buds that cost 7€.

But it also ruins a different use case. I really like using the magnetic USB connector - I insert the tiny plug into the phone (and various other devices) permanently, which makes charging them just a matter of a quick snap. That was especially handy while driving - I could snap the charging cable on without looking.

But of course, if I keep the connector in, I have no way of connecting my headphones; and moving it in and out several times a day completely beats the purpose.

All in all, I'm quite satisfied with the phone - but this is a pain point that annoys me every single day.