Every phone should come with this dongle
This week Sony revealed an accessory that SHOULD come with every new smartphone by default. The device is called USB Type-C 2-in-1 Cable EC270, and it's rather simple. This dongle has a USB-C jack on one side, and both a headphone jack and a USB-C port on the other. Can't it be when it was all so simple?
This dongle is not strictly unique. In fact companies like Moshi jumped on the trend quick, almost immediately after the first no-headphone-jack smartphones were released. Moshi has a device called "Moshi USB-C to 3.5 mm Adapter/Charger" that's just as legit as the one Sony's releasing here. Moshi's is $45, while Sony's is around $30.
The problem here is the lack of headphone jack – or at least it was a problem until it became a reality with basically every major smartphone on the market today. Instead of a USB port and a headphone jack on every phone, brands have cut down to USB-C alone.
That puts a kink in the plans of users who take their smartphone on long car rides regularly. Before, users could connect a power cord to USB and a headphone port to their phone's headphone jack. Now that's all messed up. Unless they have a Bluetooth stereo in their vehicle, they're going to be draining their smartphone's battery while they run their hardwire audio jack into their phone.
The only company that's gone above and beyond in this situation is Razer. They didn't include a dongle that allows the phone to charge at the same time, but they DID include a dongle that's more than just a converter. In our Razer Phone Review you'll see this USB-C THX DAC Audio Adapter – ramping up the sound rather than simply providing the baseline.
The Pixel 2 is one of several devices which have cut the headphone jack, but include a BASIC dongle with their phone to turn USB-C to a standard headphone port connection. Since they're including a jack in the box in the first place, it really ought to solve the problem they've created in the first place, rather than just bridge the gap.
What do you think?