Credit: David Imel / Android Authority
As the smartphone headphone jack slowly fades away, most people are faced with two choices when it comes to listening to music on their phone: Bluetooth audio or using a dongle with wired headphones. Sure, there are USB-C headphones out there, but who uses those?
We thought we’d find out which side of the fence our users put themselves on. Do they use Bluetooth audio exclusively or are they living that #donglelife? Or are they playing both sides and using one or the other when needed?
We ran a poll on the matter both here at Android Authority as well as on our Twitter account. Let’s check out the results!
Bluetooth audio or dongle audio?
Our poll asked how people without headphone jacks listen to music on their phones and gave three possible choices: Bluetooth audio only, using a dongle with wired headphones only, or both.
Here’s how the data breaks down. Notice how the results are very similar on both our site and on Twitter, leading us to believe this is a pretty accurate representation of our readers:
The data clearly shows that a majority of our readers are all-in with Bluetooth audio. Whether that’s a great set of over-ears or a sleek pair of true-wireless earbuds, most people who visit our site have ditched the cable.
Related: The best Bluetooth headphones you can get right now
However, it is quite interesting how many of our readers jump back and forth from dongles to Bluetooth. While the number of those who use both is quite far off from those dedicated to Bluetooth audio exclusively, there’s a much smaller gap there than we anticipated.
Let’s dig into some of your comments to get a better look at what this data means.
Some of your comments
Our readers take their audio experience very seriously. There are so many people here who refuse to buy smartphones without headphone jacks and have plenty to say about the quality of various lines of Bluetooth audio products, including headphones.
With that in mind, there were tons of comments to dig through, both here and on Twitter. Check out some choice comments related to our poll below.
White Razor:
I’m fine with wireless if there’s no audio sync issues. It’s great at the gym (been using Aftershokz for years now, it’s great), but when I’m sitting on the train I default for the wired option to watch videos.
Denis:
#DongleLife. I own Bluetooth audio headsets but both of them have lag when gaming.
Roaduardo:
Decided not to die on the “I won’t buy a phone without a headphone jack” hill. BT for my audio now. It wasn’t a terribly difficult transition. Wires started to get on my nerves. Wireless life can be pretty great.
@smantic86:
Thanks to the dongle I can always have pleasant old-school listening to music. Bluetooth when I don’t feel the need to take the phone with me, especially at home.
While people will likely always be passionate about the headphone jack becoming a thing of the past, it does appear that the majority of our readers have already transitioned to a post-headphone jack world. Who knows, though: maybe the jack will make a comeback and this choice won’t be necessary. I wonder how many folks would stick with Bluetooth audio if that were to happen? Maybe that’s an idea for a future poll!
