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The headphone jack is back, but Black Shark ditches it anyway
August 18, 2025
TheBlack Shark 2smartphone is an affordable alternative to the Razer Phone 2 for mobile gaming. However, the phone lacks aheadphone jack. Perhaps even more curious is how the company shared withTech Radarits intentions to return the 3.5mm port to its subsequent phone.
A Black Shark spokesperson shared in the same statement that including the port would deviate from current smartphone designs. Considering that HUAWEI already backpedaled on its nixing of the jack by returning it to theP30, this seems an odd claim. What’s more, rumors indicate that thePixel 3 Lite and Pixel 3 XL Litewill include the headphone jack.
Black Shark’s reasoning for ditching the jack is more tenuous than otherOEMs’ excuses. After all, the omission appears rooted in following the pack. A previous statement made by the company to Tech Radar cites the phone’s dual front-facing speakers andnoise canceling headphonesto justify its absence by. This explanation reads like an afterthought at best.
In all fairness, Black Shark throws consumers a bone and includes a dongle adapter, which is appreciated consideringUSB-C audio is dead. Yet, since the company is openly stating that its future products will include a 3.5mm headphone jack, this gaming smartphone feels like a product that was spit balled in the dark.
One could say that Black Shark is a daring company open to experimentation. One could also say that the sky is green. In both instances, one would be incorrect. Again, seeing how Black Shark is already asserting its future products will have a headphone port, it’s sheepishly admitting the “follow what’s trendy approach” didn’t work.
Although it is aggravating to witness Black Shark waffle on its smartphone audio decisions, the light at the end of the tunnel remains: others are seeing the errors of their ways and returning the port to their 2019 phones. In the meantime, companies likeLGandSamsung—which remained true to wired audio as others patently followed Apple—are likely feeling smug when it comes to audio, and rightfully so.
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