The 2024 Mobile World Congress has now wrapped up, and like every year, we’ve seen some interesting new announcements.
Kids, wired headphones are like AirPods but with wires that hang from the bottom, and plug into your phone. They were used as torture devices in the the early 2000s. The torture elements involved having to untangle the headphones every time you pull them out of your pocket. My $1,300 Galaxy S24 Ultra is “extra” enough to have an S Pen but not a pair of excellent sounding speakers, while my $1,000 Pixel 8 Pro sounds even more mediocre compared to my $1,200 iPhone 15 Pro Max, which sounds good .
In the end, while pivotal parts and aspects of the smartphone have seen a gradual and indisputable progress over time , most phone makers seem to ignore putting effort into making their phones sound good. And this doesn’t sit right with me., unless you count my Google Nest Mini), I can’t help but find this to be a little bit insulting - especially when it also applies to the multiple $1,000+ flagship phones sitting on my desk.
So… What would it take for speakers on mainstream phones to get to the next level, and is it a realistic upgrade to expect?