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Motorola killed the headphone jack and nobody noticed

Published Jun 10th, 2016 6:50AM EDT
Moto Z Force Headphone Jack
Image: Motorola

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Lenovo’s Tech World keynote was packed with announcements, some of them being a lot more interesting to consumers than others. Right at the end, Lenovo unveiled its newest Android flagship devices – or a second family of hot Android devices, considering that the PHAB2 Tango smartphones were also announced at the event. There are many interesting things about the Moto Z devices presented yesterday, ultra-thin handsets that bring modularity to Motorola’s lineup of mobile products. One of them is the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack, which absolutely nobody noticed during the event.

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It looks like Motorola is ready to kill the standard headset jack, and the company did so quietly, without even mentioning it on stage. The Lenovo-owned company just became the first major mobile device maker to ditch the headphone jack, though other companies from China did it before. Yet it’s Apple that’s getting all the flak for considering a similar avenue for its iPhone 7.

In its various demos during the keynote, Motorola insisted on the various features of the Moto Z and Moto Z Force, focusing on their size and modularity. But the company did not address the lack of the standard audio jack, whose removal likely helped Moto further shrink down the smartphones. The Moto Z is just 5.19mm thick, while the Moto Z Force is slightly thicker, at 6.9mm.

As MacRumors notes, both devices sport USB-C ports which may be used to connect to headphones, with the help of an adapter. Additionally, wireless headphones can also be used with the Moto Z phones over Bluetooth.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.