ASUS has revealed some interesting insights about its smartphone users ahead of the launch of its Zenfone 10 this month. The company said many of its customers still use the headphone jack and prefer slower charging rates to extend their battery life.
The company shared some data based on last year’s Zenfone 9, which featured a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 30W fast charger. The report (via Android Authority) showed that 36.5% of Zenfone users plugged in their wired headphones at least once per month, while 8.3% did so at least once daily. This may mean that wired headphones are still popular among some users, especially as a backup option when wireless earbuds run out of power.
ASUS also reported that 25% of Zenfone users enabled Steady Charging, a feature that slowed down the charging rate to reduce heat and improve battery longevity. This could mean that some users would rather forego ultra-fast charging speeds in favor of a moderate pace so that the battery will degrade slowly over time.
The Zenfone 9 was one of the few high-end models that offered a headphone jack and a relatively small display size of 5.9 inches. It also had a Samsung-made AMOLED panel with HDR10+ support and a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone received positive reviews for its performance, camera quality, and software features.
It is not clear yet whether the Zenfone 10 will retain the headphone jack and the same charging speed as its predecessor. However, ASUS seems to be aware of the preferences of its niche market and may continue to include them.
Personally, I’m all for the headphone jack and welcome its return. I like using wired earphones because good-sounding ones are cheaper than their wireless counterparts. But I do understand the convenience wireless options offer.
In any case, I don’t think manufacturers will be bringing back the headphone jack for flagship and premium smartphones, especially when there’s money to be saved or made in removing it.
Also read: ASUS ROG Phone 7 Series launches in the Philippines: Starts at P50,995
The ASU Zenfone 10 is expected to be announced later this month. ASUS has not revealed much details about the upcoming phone, but it is likely to have a flagship processor, a high-quality display, and a versatile camera system. Stay tuned for more updates and other tech news.
