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MagyarThe Best Smartphones with 3.5-mm Headphone Jack
A requirement for audio enthusiasts and a very useful feature for most other users: the 3.5-mm headphone jack is a defining feature on smartphones. Especially if you recently purchased an expensive high-quality headset with 3.5-mm audio connector you are not going to be too thrilled if your new smartphone lacks the proper connection. Unfortunately, many OEMs seem to view things quite a bit differently, and instead prefer to utilize the space inside the case for larger batteries or additional features. Instead of adding a dedicated 3.5-mm headphone jack they add audio output functionality to the already existing USB-C port in order to continue supporting analog audio equipment such as headsets or headphones.
The fact that not all users will be excited to carry around yet another piece of equipment – one that can get lost quite easily and causes audio quality to suffer to boot – is lost on most OEMs. Therefore, we decided to compile this list of our view on the best smartphones with dedicated 3.5-mm headphone jack. It features smartphones from both the sub $500 range, where you are much more likely to encounter a dedicated audio port, and much costlier devices where headphone jacks have become a rare and almost exclusive feature. Please consider the following top lists as well:
- The Best Smartphones (high-end smartphones of all sizes)
- The Best Phablets (smartphones larger than 6.8-inches)
- The Best Compact Smartphones (smartphones smaller than 6.5-inches)
The Best Smartphones with Headphone Jack
Position | Total Rating | Date | Image | Model | Height | Weight | Size | Resolution | OS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 89 % | 09/2021 New! |  | Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Qualcomm Adreno 660 16 GB Memory, 512 GB | 9.9 mm | 239 g | 6.78" | 2448x1080 | Android 11 |
| 2 | 88 % | 04/2021 |  | Asus ROG Phone 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Qualcomm Adreno 660 16 GB Memory, 256 GB | 9.9 mm | 239 g | 6.78" | 2448x1080 | Android 11 |
| 3 | 87.1 % | 10/2021 New! |  | Sony Xperia 5 III Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Qualcomm Adreno 660 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | 8.2 mm | 168 g | 6.10" | 2520x1080 | Android 11 |
| 4 | 87.2 % | 07/2021 New! |  | Sony Xperia 1 III Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Qualcomm Adreno 660 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.2 mm | 186 g | 6.50" | 3840x1644 | Android 11 |
| 5 | 86.3 % | 07/2021 New! |  | Xiaomi Black Shark 4 Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G Qualcomm Adreno 650 6 GB Memory, 128 GB | 10.4 mm | 210 g | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | Android 11 |
| 6 | 85.9 % | 07/2021 New! |  | realme GT 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Qualcomm Adreno 660 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | 8.4 mm | 186 g | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | Android 11 |
| 7 | 85.9 % | 06/2021 |  | Asus ZenFone 8 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Qualcomm Adreno 660 16 GB Memory, 256 GB | 8.9 mm | 169 g | 5.92" | 2400x1080 | Android 11 |
| 8 | 86.6 % | 11/2020 |  | Sony Xperia 5 II Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Qualcomm Adreno 650 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | 8 mm | 163 g | 6.10" | 2520x1080 | Android 10 |
| 9 | 85.1 % | 09/2021 New! |  | Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G Qualcomm Adreno 642L 6 GB Memory, 128 GB UFS 2.1 | 8.4 mm | 189 g | 6.50" | 2400x1080 | Android 11 |
| 10 | 85.4 % | 05/2021 |  | Motorola Moto G100 Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G Qualcomm Adreno 650 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | 9.7 mm | 207 g | 6.70" | 2520x1080 | Android 11 |
The table above contains an overview over the best compact smartphones reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ.
1st – Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro / Ultimate
With powerful internal hardware and a 144 Hz display the Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro is one of the best gaming smartphones currently available. Its hardware includes 16 GB of RAM as well as a powerful and stable processor. Various ultrasound sensor buttons and a total of two USB ports are available, and Asus supports a variety of games with 120 and 144 Hz.
The ROG Phone 5 Pro is the best gaming smartphone currently available.
In everyday use this gaming smartphone’s battery will last almost 15 hours during light use such as browsing the web or consuming media contents. If you are an avid photographer you will like the ROG Phone 5 Pro’s cameras. The 3.5 mm headphone jack alongside the two USB ports is definitely a welcome highlight. Should you need even more RAM the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate may be right for you as it comes with 18 instead of 16 GB of RAM.
Neither the ROG 5 Phone Pro nor the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate are currently available in North America.
Pricecompare
2nd – Asus ROG Phone 5
The Asus ROG Phone 5 is a device at the bleeding edge of what is currently possible. Its popping 6.78-inch AMOLED display supports HDR and a smooth refresh rate of 144 Hz. Its touchscreen also features a very high sampling rate of 300 Hz.
The Asus ROG Phone 5 is a smartphone with many advantages and features.
As is expected of a gaming smartphone its performance is superb. It features one of the fastest currently available SoCs paired with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage for apps and data, which should be sufficient for most users. In addition to its excellent speakers it also comes with a 3.5-mm headphone jack with a quad-DAC to enhance and improve audio quality even further.
The Asus ROG Phone 5 is not officially sold in the US. The unlocked international version is available on Amazon for $800.
Pricecompare
3rd – Sony Xperia 5 III
The Sony Xperia 5 III stands out with its overall competitive package. It comes with a very compact and lightweight convenient case delivering a remarkable amount of oomph. More than enough to ensure smooth everyday app use. It also features an SD card slot and good speakers.
If you’re in the market for a compact premium smartphone the Xperia 5 III will be hard to ignore.
Its ambitious camera array is well suited for occasional everyday snapshots. If, however, you want to get the most out of the camera you will be glad to hear the pro app, reminiscent of Sony’s DSLR family, is available for this phone.
The Sony Xperia 5 III is currently not available in North America.
Pricecompare
4th – Sony Xperia 1 III
Just like the previous generation Sony Xperia 1 III we get the feeling that one the one hand Sony managed to create an astonishing smartphone with unique and outstanding features while on the other hand it seems to fall behind its competitors at the same time. For example, a high-resolution cinema format display is hard to get anywhere else, but it is a major drain on battery life. The camera takes great photos, and high-quality zoom photos are possible thanks to the new telephoto lens but at the same time photos seem to be lacking fine details.
Sony’s 2021 flagship phone is a high-quality camera smartphone that differs from its competitors in a few aspects.
Its unique design looks and feels very premium, its physical shutter button is a great addition, and the phone is blazingly fast, as is its storage. It also features a 3.5-mm headphone jack that is unavailable on all other flagship smartphones, and last but not least it is surprisingly lightweight.
The Sony Xperia 1 III is currently only available as unlocked international GSM-only variant in North American and listed on Amazon for $1,200.
Pricecompare
5th - Sony Xperia 5 II
Sony’s smartphone division was struggling in the recent years. While the OEM is behind many of the great smartphone camera sensors we see today its own smartphones suffered from their overall mediocre nature. The Sony Xperia 5 II is the manufacturer’s attempt at a fresh and better start, but at almost $1,000 it is also priced very boldly.
Its unique feature is the professional-level camera application that is only available on Sony smartphones, and it does indeed help to capture great photos. In return, the default camera app is fairly slow, and Sony does not seem to be particularly interested in keeping its software up to date, as was shown by the outdated security patches on our review unit.
An expensive high-quality smartphone with special professional-level camera software.
We liked its thin case, its support for 5G connectivity, its unique design, and its good battery life. It also continues to feature a 3.5-mm headphone jack, which can almost be considered another unique feature.
Pricecompare
6th – Xiaomi Black Shark 4
The Xiaomi Black Shark 4 not only offers a lot of performance for its price, but it is also a full-fledged gaming smartphone to boot. Accordingly, it not only looks different than its competitors but also offers extra features such as two trigger buttons on the right-hand side that can be operated with your index fingers while gaming and responded very quickly to input.
The Black Shark 4 is the next evolutionary step in Xiaomi’s gaming smartphone line-up. It is a good gaming device with comparatively discreet looks.
Other benefits include the fast 144 Hz display for smooth scrolling and reduced eye sore. The phone also supports fast 5G, fast Wi-Fi, and features a good camera. It is thus not only suited for gaming but also for taking decent photos.
Xiaomi smartphones are not available in North America.
Pricecompare
7th – realme GT 5G
According to its spec sheet the realme GT 5G is supposed to offer flagship performance at a low price, and it most certainly does not disappoint in this regard. Smartphones equipped with a Snapdragon 888, dual-speakers, 120 Hz OLED display, 64 MP camera, and a large battery tend to be much more expensive. With prices of around 450 Euros it is a direct competitor to Xiaomi’s Poco F3 with a surprisingly similar concept but a slightly different focus.
The realme GT 5G offers an overall attractive package with room for improvement.
Unfortunately, realme failed to provide adequate cooling for the powerful SoC, which becomes noticeable when playing demanding games. Overall system performance is very good, which cannot be said about its triple-camera. The main lens takes decent photos but is thwarted by the supported lenses. Nevertheless, the reamle GT 5G is a good and, considering its low price, very attractive smartphone.
The realme GT 5G is not officially sold in North American. Unlocked international models can be found on Amazon with prices starting just below $500.
Pricecompare
8th – Asus ZenFone 8
The Zenfone 8 is a particularly compact high-quality smartphone. Its system performance is excellent making for a very smooth everyday performance. In addition to fast Wi-Fi and a bright AMOLED display it also supports 5G. It comes with 256 GB of internal storage, which is more than most competitors offer. Alternatively, an SKU with 128 GB is also available.
The Asus ZenFone 8 offers plenty of performance in a compact high-quality case.
We grew particularly fond of its compact and robust case. Some might consider it too thick but at the same time it gives the ZenFone 8 a more premium touch and feel. It is also IP68-certified against ingress of dust and water, and its camera offers a decent quality good enough for everyday use.
The Asus ZenFone 8 is not officially sold in the US. The unlocked international version is available on Amazon for $940.
Pricecompare
9th – Motorola Moto G100
The Moto G100 is a fast smartphone with 128 GB of fast storage. Its performance is high enough for smooth gaming at 60 FPS, and its 6.7-inch display performed very well in our test. We also found no evidence of performance throttling under sustained load.
The Moto G100 is unique due to its desktop mode but it is also a very fast smartphone to boot.
One of the G100’s unique features is its ability to be converted into a desktop-mode computing device by using the appropriate dock. This worked well in our test and can be a very useful alternative should a full-fledged computer not be available. In addition, the device also supports 5G networks.
The Motorola Moto G100 is not available in North America.
Pricecompare
10th – Samsung Galaxy A52s
The Galaxy A52s 5G does not have any drawbacks in the areas of case, cameras, display, speakers, and battery life. Its processor is very fast, and its GPU performance has been increased. Fast Wi-Fi, 5G, and expandable storage are also available.
The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G is a slightly more expensive upgraded model with a decent performance boost over its predecessor.
Other benefits include its bright display and IP-certified case. The display is not only very bright but also very colorful thanks to its underlying OLED technology. A high 120 Hz refresh rate makes for buttery smooth animations and images.
The Galaxy A52s 5G is not officially sold in North America. Imported international GSM-only devices are available on Amazon starting at $450.
Pricecompare
Verdict
High-end smartphones with 3.5-mm headphone jack may be a dying breed, but they are not quite dead yet. Affordable devices tend to be dominated by older flagship and high-end smartphones that dropped in price over time.
Even though current mid-range devices still tend to feature a dedicated 3.5-mm headphone jack and some OEMs such as LG even go above and beyond to ensure great analog audio quality we do expect the headphone jack to all but disappear in the next few years.
Test Results
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | Asus ZenFone 8 | Sony Xperia 5 II | Motorola Moto G100 | Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro | Sony Xperia 5 III | Sony Xperia 1 III | Xiaomi Black Shark 4 | realme GT 5G | Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | ||||||||||
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 2.4 ? | 3.2 ? | 8 ? | 40 ? | 2.4 ? | 21 ? | 8 ? | 11 ? | 3.2 ? | 10 ? |
| Response Time Black / White * | 2.4 ? | 3.2 ? | 8 ? | 24 ? | 2.4 ? | 8 ? | 7 ? | 6 ? | 2.4 ? | 8 ? |
| PWM Frequency | 568 ? | 495 ? | 238.1 | 144.5 ? | 490.2 | 476.2 | 162.3 | 242.7 ? | 231.5 | |
| Screen | ||||||||||
| Brightness middle | 789 | 758 | 558 | 562 | 789 | 554 | 537 | 676 | 605 | 736 |
| Brightness | 795 | 759 | 562 | 535 | 795 | 559 | 539 | 669 | 606 | 751 |
| Brightness Distribution | 98 | 98 | 98 | 90 | 98 | 95 | 95 | 98 | 97 | 96 |
| Black Level * | 0.57 | |||||||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.4 | 3.5 | 3.01 | 3.99 | 1.4 | 2.22 | 4.78 | 5.77 | 1.3 | 2.18 |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3 | 6.86 | 9.74 | 3 | 5.94 | 7.83 | 9.81 | 3.1 | 5.69 | |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 6.5 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| Gamma | 2.27 97% | 2.23 99% | 2.196 100% | 2.174 101% | 2.27 97% | 2.193 100% | 2.363 93% | 1.959 112% | 2.25 98% | 2.27 97% |
| CCT | 6596 99% | 6527 100% | 6398 102% | 6882 94% | 6596 99% | 7000 93% | 7982 81% | 6584 99% | 6372 102% | 6563 99% |
| Contrast | 986 | |||||||||
| Heat | ||||||||||
| Maximum Upper Side * | 37.3 | 40.2 | 42.8 | 42.3 | 37.3 | 44.1 | 39.9 | 42 | 37.7 | 45.4 |
| Maximum Bottom * | 35.8 | 38.7 | 42.6 | 41.4 | 35.8 | 44.2 | 43.7 | 41.8 | 37.1 | 45.2 |
| Idle Upper Side * | 29.8 | 31.2 | 25.8 | 37.2 | 29.8 | 31.7 | 26.4 | 28.2 | 32.4 | 24.9 |
| Idle Bottom * | 26.9 | 28.7 | 26.1 | 34.6 | 26.9 | 31.4 | 26.2 | 28.6 | 30.3 | 25.4 |
| Battery Runtime | ||||||||||
| Reader / Idle | 1476 | 2846 | 1897 | |||||||
| H.264 | 832 | 1285 | 1109 | |||||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 754 | 442 | 793 | 1049 | 885 | 727 | 534 | 710 | 755 | 721 |
| Load | 406 | 302 | 309 | |||||||
| Power Consumption | ||||||||||
| Idle Minimum * | 0.59 | 0.82 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.91 | 1.8 | 1.14 | 1.2 | ||
| Idle Average * | 1.08 | 1.1 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.12 | 2.6 | 1.84 | 1.4 | ||
| Idle Maximum * | 1.14 | 1.16 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.17 | 3.1 | 1.87 | 1.7 | ||
| Load Average * | 5.29 | 4.24 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 5.3 | 4.21 | 3.6 | ||
| Load Maximum * | 11.44 | 6.83 | 11 | 8.5 | 11.08 | 11.5 | 8.07 | 6.9 |
* ... smaller is better
Benchmarks
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Sony Xperia 1 III | |
| Xiaomi Black Shark 4 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| Geekbench 4.1 - 4.4 | |
| 64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| 64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Asus ZenFone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| realme GT 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Asus ZenFone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| realme GT 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Asus ZenFone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| realme GT 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Asus ZenFone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| realme GT 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Asus ZenFone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| realme GT 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Asus ZenFone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| realme GT 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Asus ZenFone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| realme GT 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Asus ZenFone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 III | |
| realme GT 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- (sort by value) | |
| Asus ROG Phone 5 | |
| Asus ZenFone 8 | |
| Sony Xperia 5 II | |
| Motorola Moto G100 | |
| realme GT 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G | |
* ... smaller is better