Fairphone 5: Keeping it 10/10? | iFixit News
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Is the Fairphone 5 just a repeat of a proven formula or a real improvement compared to its predecessors?

While they were happy with what the fairphone 4 brought to the table, they seem to like what was changed for the fairphone 5.
What are you guys’ opinions on this? A welcome change? would you get one if your phone died within the next year?

  • BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    22·
    1 year ago

    My own background is in embedded electronics too. Whether there is a benefit in removing the jack or not has not been part of my arguments.

    Some people will say that the jack needs to go for waterproofing, but I distinctly remember owning a Sony Xperia M4 which had both a jack and an IP68 rating.

    I’m also not saying that your arguments aren’t valid, I just value different aspects… Except for the part about an external DAC being redundant. An external DAC, with RCA or XLR connectors, some proper cable can potentially give you a better result than the internal DAC and the 3.5mm jack. Emphasis on the “potential” part.

    I haven’t used wired headphones on a regular basis, since that Xperia in 2015ish, and I don’t miss untangling the wires, or fixing a broken socket where the solder is cracked, the pins are broken inside the plastic housing of the socket, or clearing a socket of a broken male jack.

    IMO the 3.5mm jack is a poor connector. It breaks too easily, dust in the socket leads to static and to be quite honest if I can tell a difference in sound quality, it’s my BT headphones that comes out on top.

    As long as there’s a demand for 3.5mm jacks in phones they’ll still be marketed. But if people could stop pointing out that another overpriced smartphone lacks the jack, it would just be swell. Just buy a more modestly priced phone instead of forking over +700€ for a frigging phone.

    • potustheplant@feddit.nlEnglish
      32·
      1 year ago

      I currently have a Sony Xperia 5V. It has an IP68 rating, it’s basically a flagship phone and it has a headphone jack. Manufacturers don’t include the jack because they don’t want to but it’s 100% possible.

      An external DAC, with RCA or XLR connectors, some proper cable can potentially give you a better result than the internal DAC and the 3.5mm jack.

      Sorry, but that bit about the external dac is pretty dumb. We’re talking about using a mobile phone and you’re talking xlr and rca? Really?

      I don’t miss untangling the wires,

      Maybe use a case? I usually have a small roud case for my IEMs that barely takes up space. You’re already carrying a case for tws so I don’t see why it would be a problem.

      or fixing a broken socket where the solder is cracked,

      At least you can fix it. If the battery on a wireless IEM dies, 9 times out of 10 you can’t fix it and need to get a new one.

      the pins are broken inside the plastic housing of the socket,

      Maybe don’t use shitty jacks?

      or clearing a socket of a broken male jack.

      Don’t know how or where you use your phone but that literally never happened to me. Honestly, none of the issues you mentioned have been a problem for me. Maybe take better care of your stuff?

      And regarding people pointing out the lack of a basic feature. Yeah, no. If a company makes shitty products, I’ll keep pointing it out. Also, there are fewer and fewer phones with a headphone jack every year. Cheap and expensive. So no, price has nothing to dp with this.

      • BigDanishGuy@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        32·
        1 year ago

        Sorry, but that bit about the external dac is pretty dumb. We’re talking about using a mobile phone and you’re talking xlr and rca? Really?

        mama always stupid is as stupid does

        I’ve read at least once in this thread an argument, that 3.5mm jack is superior to BT or USB-C, on account of the audio quality. If you’re using your phone for playback in a setup where you can tell the difference, then an external DAC, with proper connectors, is warranted.

        Maybe use a case? I usually have a small roud case for my IEMs that barely takes up space.

        How about wireless instead? They can be more discreet, and you don’t always have to care about stowing then away. There’s a bit of a difference between rolling the wire(s) up or just plopping the individual TWS in a case, where orientation is handled by a magnet.

        Maybe don’t use shitty jacks?

        Nothing to do with the jack. I’m talking about the pins coming from the circular part of the socket and going to the PCB. I’ve seen them break inside the socket housing, where you can’t get to them. Leaving you with the options of either

        • sourcing a drop in replacement socket, which is time consuming and some of the time futile, or
        • plugging in some headphones, fire up the device and start playing some sound, then manipulate the socket while listening to the audio and when you get both left and right working, then securing the position with ad much epoxy as you can get away with. Elsewhere in this thread I’ve mentioned cowboy ways of electronics repair, this is some of what I meant.

        If you want to avoid this issue, then you need to evaluate the socket in the device as part of your purchasing considerations. But most stores don’t like it when you take their stuff apart. Instruct your users (in my case friends and family) to be really careful OR just use wireless.

        Don’t know how or where you use your phone but that literally never happened to me. Honestly, none of the issues you mentioned have been a problem for me. Maybe take better care of your stuff?

        Or, and bear with me here, I’ll keep using my devices how I want, as I’ve found a perfectly good strategy for not breaking a 3.5mm male jack in the socket? Most of the times I have had to deal with this issue in this millennium, I haven’t even been the culprit.

        Yeah, no. If a company makes shitty products, I’ll keep pointing it out.

        And I’ll keep telling you that nobody really cares, most of your arguments are moot, and your opinion is not that of the vast majority.

        Also, there are fewer and fewer phones with a headphone jack every year.

        I wonder how that could be /s

        Cheap and expensive. So no, price has nothing to dp with this.

        It started with flagships IIRC, sure it may have trickled down into other segments.

        • potustheplant@feddit.nlEnglish
          21·
          1 year ago

          I’ve read at least once in this thread an argument, that 3.5mm jack is superior to BT or USB-C, on account of the audio quality. If you’re using your phone for playback in a setup where you can tell the difference, then an external DAC, with proper connectors, is warranted.

          First of all, I didn’t say that but it is true. Bluetooh is not just technically inferior, it also has severe limitations in bidirectional communications such as phone calls. Which you know, you tend to have when you’re usign a mobile phone.

          However, the real difference comes when you compare the headphones themselves. Something like a Moondrop Aria or a Truthear Hexa is under 80USD and will be significantly better than a wireless IEM that costs the same. You can even go down to 30/40USD and still fine good products.

          They can be more discreet, and you don’t always have to care about stowing then away. There’s a bit of a difference between rolling the wire(s) up or just plopping the individual TWS in a case, where orientation is handled by a magnet.

          You need the IEMs to be “discreet”? What? hahaha that’s a first. Also, rolling up the wire takes a few seconds. None of this is an issue.

          Nothing to do with the jack. I’m talking about the pins coming from the circular part of the socket and going to the PCB. I’ve seen them break inside the socket housing, where you can’t get to them.

          Then don’t buy crappy devices? I don’t know dude. I have audio gear more than 40 years old and I’ve literally never had this issue.

          And I’ll keep telling you that nobody really cares, most of your arguments are moot, and your opinion is not that of the vast majority.

          Ah but you keep the conversation going and that’s what matters my friend. Also, who cares if my opinion is “in the vast majority” or not? Do you only share your views if you know other people agree? That’s dumb.

          I wonder how that could be /s

          Yeah, uninformed consumers and increased profit margins will do that to the market. Go figure.

        • potustheplant@feddit.nlEnglish
          32·
          1 year ago

          Not trolling, just sharing facts.

          Talking about audio quality but dismissing a counter argument because we’re talking mobile is just dumb and arrogant at this point.

          Neither dumb nor arrogant. Have you seen the size of an XLR connector? Or headphones that use an RCA jack? Do you even know of a device that has those connectors and doesn’t require external power? If you don’t know what you’re talking about, don’t talk.