Headphone jacks and overnight-charging still preferred by many, says ASUS

The smartphone business is a funny-old place where what consumers want and what companies offer don’t always align. I still remember the outcry when removable batteries, microSD cards, and the headphone jack were lopped off the menu. Many have moved on, embracing the world of wireless earbuds and fast internal storage, but there still seems to be a vocal user-based dedicated to the old ways.

We’ve been chatting with ASUS ahead of the upcoming Zenfone 10 launch this month. The company shared some fascinating user insights based on last year’s Zenfone 9 and how that’s guiding future development. It turns out the headphone jack is still popular, and fast charging isn’t as beloved as some brands imply. Who would have guessed?

According to ASUS, 36.5% of Zenfone users listen via the headphone jack at least once per month, and 8.3% plug in at least once daily. Granted, that’s a good portion but ultimately a minority of users, but wired headphones clearly have enduring popularity in some circles. Since earbuds can be a recurring cost many underestimate, having a headphone jack as a backup is a benefit we’ve mostly lost touch with.

Wired and wireless listening doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. The latest phones from ASUS, Sony, and a handful of others in the headphone jack faithful are packed with Hi-Res and high-end Snapdragon Sound features for Bluetooth listening. It just shows that having the best of both worlds is possible. Though it seems doubtful the old 3.5mm will ever return to mass popularity.

Speaking of U-turns, you might have noticed a few brands retreating from the zany wired charging power levels we saw last year. For instance, HONOR’s latest flagship offers 66W wired charging, down from 100W the year before. Plus, many brands fail to reach their advertised power levels and even disable ultra-fast charging modes out of the box (see Xiaomi and Realme). There might be a good reason for this; users would rather their batteries last longer rather than charge quicker.

This is reflected in ASUS’ data. 25% of Zenfone users have enabled Steady Charging, which slows the charging rate to reduce heat and prolong battery longevity. ASUS hasn’t hopped on the 100W bandwagon; its smartphones support the universal USB Power Delivery PPS standard at 30W in the Zenfone series and 65W in recent ROG Phones. However, a good chunk of users still prefer slower charging.

Likewise, 26% turn on Scheduled Charging. This mode delays charging to 100% battery until a pre-set time, such as when your alarm goes off in the morning. Used in conjunction with Steady Charging, it’s a valuable tool to enhance battery longevity. Google’s Pixel series offers similar functionality with Adaptive Charging, among others.

If nothing else, ASUS’ interesting data points highlight that user choice is something brands would do well to keep in mind, even if it’s impossible to cater to every niche. Whether that’s by supporting legacy hardware or tweaking software to give users more control over how they use their devices. We will have to see how this guides ASUS’ upcoming smartphone release in the coming days.

But how does your use pattern compare? Be sure to vote in our polls and let us know in the comments below.