Like the cassette tapes, soon the 3.5mm jack will be fondly remembered as a techno relic, as yet another flagship phone followed the trend of ditching this humble plug.
The upcoming HTC U 11 is rumored to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of a USB-Type C port. However, the box will come with a 3.5mm adapter for those without USB headphones.
HTC U 11 is the company's bet in the raging flagship battle. Like the others, its specs include a Snapdragon 835 chip while sporting its own "squeeze" gesture.
USB-C To 3.5mm Adapter In the Box
According to a prominent HTC leaker named "LlabTooFeR," HTC U 11 will not have the 3.5mm port.
However, "#HTCU11 will have USB-C -> 3.5mm adaptor inside the box," LlabTooFer tweeted.
The size, shape, and nature of the adapter have not been leaked, however. One site speculates that it could be a simple female adapter that accepts a 3.5mm jack, or it can be like the one used by HTC Dream, which plugs onto the phone with a wire for the jack.
The presence of the adapter is a curious case for HTC. In 2016, HTC released HTC Bolt, which replaced the 3.5mm jack with USB-C port, but did not come with an adapter. HTC also released HTC Ultra, also without an adapter, but came with free HTC USonic earphones with USB-C connector.
This is a good move for people who still prefer their old 3.5mm audio cans, or those without USB-C headphones. HTC probably took to heart the uproar over Apple's decision to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of its proprietary Lightning port and the much-maligned AirPods.
HTC U 11 Specs
HTC U 11, or HTC U, is the Taiwanese brand's entrant to the 2017 flagship war. Under the hood, it will pack the latest Snapdragon 835 SoC together with 4 GB of RAM and is upgradeable to 6 GB. Onboard storage will have 64 GB and 128 GB options, with microSD support for watching big movie files.
Speaking of movies, the 5.5-inch Super LCD screen will have a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 to protect its 2,560 x 1440 Quad HD display. A 3,000 mAh battery with quick charging will ensure longer viewing times.
The rear shooter will have 12 MP f/1.7 lens, while the front shooter will strangely have a 16 MP camera (for better selfies?). The cameras will have image stabilizers and HTC's UltraPixel 3 image technology.
To separate itself from the pack, HTC U 11 will have the "Edge Sense," HTC's innovative technology that allows users to squeeze the device's pressure-sensitive side to perform tasks such as snapping the camera, or bringing up HTC's smart assistant. Speaking of assistant, the phone will come with the latest Android Nougat baked in.
The HTC U 11 will be launched on May 16.
