Best Android phones with a headphone jack 2024

Headphone jacks on Android phones no longer come as standard, having gone the way of the dinosaur over the last few years. A few decent Android phones still cling to the old ways, keeping the rare audio port for wired headphones alive. It's hard to find flagship phones with headphone jacks these days.

You might think your best bet is to grab an older high-end phone or a mid-ranger for less, and you wouldn't be wrong. However, there are still some nuggets of gold available that offer you that coveted feature. Spectacular phones like the Zenfone 10 are some of the best Android phones with a headphone jack. After conducting some tedious research on your behalf, we have rounded up all your best options right here. 

At a glance

Best overall

ASUS Zenfone 10 review

(Image credit: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)
The best small Android phone ever.

Specifications

Display: 5.9-inch 120Hz AMOLED; 2400 x 1080
CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM: 8GB / 16GB
OS: Android 13
Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Battery: 4,300mAh
Camera: 50MP (wide) + 13MP (ultrawide) rear; 32MP front

Reasons to buy

+
Wireless charging
+
IP68 waterproof rating
+
Good camera setup
+
5.92-inch 144Hz AMOLED display makes it ideal for one-handed use
+
Great internals and software overall
+
Comes in plenty of colors

Reasons to avoid

-
Only two OS updates

There is no better Android phone with a headphone jack than the wonderful little Zenfone 10. ASUS took us by surprise with the Zenfone 8, but users complained about it being boring. With the Zenfone 9, that changed. And happily, the Zenfone 10 continues the legacy of this phone that only gets better with newer iterations.

You can get the 5.92-inch ASUS Zenfone 10 in a bunch of splashy colors, including the smoldering bright red that has fast become a signature look for the Zenfone series. This excellent small phone has powerful internals, packing a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor as well as 8GB or 12GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB storage.

Amazingly, you also get premium features like wireless charging and an IP68 water and dust-proof rating. For $700, this is the best Android phone with an AUX port.

Best budget

Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) face down

(Image credit: Derrek Lee / Android Central)
Pen down your thoughts.

Specifications

Display: 6.6-inch 120Hz IPS LCD; 2400 x 1080
CPU: Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
RAM: 4GB / 8GB
OS: Android 13
Storage: 128GB / 256GB
Battery: 5,000mAh
Camera: 50MP (wide) + 8MP (ultrawide) rear; 16MP front

Reasons to buy

+
Stylus built-in
+
Snappy 120Hz LCD screen
+
Excellent all-day battery
+
Loud stereo speakers
+
Decent primary camera
+
Three years of updates

Reasons to avoid

-
Ultrawide and selfie cameras need improvement
-
No waterproof rating
-
Only one platform upgrade

There aren't many flagships that still cling to the 3.5mm audio jack, but you can always invest in awesome mid-rangers like the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023). You can pair it with one of the best-wired headphones available today to maximize your audio experience.

The Moto G Stylus 5G (2023) retains everything that made the Moto G Stylus 5G (2022) such a hit with subtle (but awesome) improvements. You get a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset and a 5,000mAh battery that lasts all day long. Motorola bumped the charging specs to faster 20W charging.

The main attraction of this phone is the built-in stylus, microSD card slot for expandable storage, and of course, the headphone jack. The last two are rare features today, so it's nice to see so much in a $300 phone.

Unfortunately, the water-repellant design is not backed by an actual IP rating. Also, Motorola has only promised one major Android update for the Moto G Stylus 5G (2023), so it won't get any more platform upgrades after Android 14.

Best under $300

Taking a photo with the OnePlus Nord N30 5G

(Image credit: Nicholas Sutrich / Android Central)
Big battery, bigger heart.

Specifications

Display: 6.7-inch 120Hz IPS LCD; 2400 x 1080
CPU: Snapdragon 695
RAM: 8GB
OS: Android 13, OxygenOS 13
Storage: 128GB
Battery: 5,000mAh
Camera: 108MP (wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (depth) rear; 32MP front

Reasons to buy

+
Clean software with plenty of extra features
+
Expandable storage
+
IP54 water and dust resistance
+
6.72-inch 120Hz LCD display looks great
+
Amazing 5,000mAh cell with 50W SUPERVOOC ultra-fast charging

Reasons to avoid

-
Limited to one major OS upgrade
-
Not the best cameras

Only got $300 in your pocket? Say no more! The OnePlus Nord N30 is a 5G phone with value-packed internals and superb battery specs. This device lasts for two days easily, and when that runs out, you've got an incredible 50W SUPERVOOC ultra-fast charging to take advantage of. What's more, OnePlus includes the charger in the box.

In addition to a headphone jack, the Nord N30 5G also has a microSD slot. OnePlus went ahead and added IP54 water and dust resistance as well, so you can rest assured that the phone is durable. The large 6.72-inch LCD screen has a snappy 120Hz refresh rate, making transitions seem smoother.

We do wish that the cameras were better, and the performance doesn't cut it for gaming. You get Android 13 out of the box with a neat and clean OxygenOS 13.1 skin layered on top. There are lots of meaningful extras baked into the software, but OnePlus will only push one more OS update to the Nord N30 5G, which is a bummer. Still, the overall package makes this one of the best Android phones under $300.

Best performance

ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro review

(Image credit: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)
Killer performance in a boisterous body.

Specifications

Display: 6.78-inch 165Hz LTPO AMOLED; 2448 x 1080
CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 12GB / 16GB / 24GB
OS: Android 14
Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
Battery: 5,500mAh
Camera: 50MP (wide) + 13MP (ultrawide) + 32MP (macro) rear; 32MP front

Reasons to buy

+
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC with beefy internals
+
Outstanding gaming performance
+
Bright 6.78-inch 165Hz AMOLED panel
+
IP68 dust and water resistance
+
Much better cameras this time
+
Clean software with unique extras

Reasons to avoid

-
Just two platform updates
-
Expensive

The ASUS ROG Phone 8 Pro means business, and we realized that in our review. You will be hard-pressed to find phone with a headphone jack that outperforms this one, especially when you add in the stereo speakers and shoulder buttons to make this an effective mobile gaming rig. Better cameras this time around also mean it can double as a decent mobile photography tool.

This is the pricier version of the ROG Phone 8, but both phones have a lot in common sharing many of the same specs and features. You get two Type-C ports, one HDMI port, an audio jack, shoulder triggers, and illuminated RGB lights on the back of the ROG Phone 8 Pro. For the first time, ASUS has also added some durability to the device with IP68 dust and water resistance.

Under the hood, ASUS fitted this ROG Phone with all the latest internals. There's the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor powering the device, as well as Bluetooth 5.4, WiFi 7, UFS 4.0 storage, and an under-display fingerprint scanner. The large 6.78-inch 165Hz AMOLED display has a peak brightness level of 2,500 nits and is secured by Gorilla Glass Victus.

The 5,500mAh battery is actually smaller than the previous ROG Phone 7, but with a more efficient cooling system and the optimization inherent in the Snapdragon chipset mean it will last longer in spite of that. 

Best value

Poco F5 back panel

(Image credit: Jay Bonggolto / Android Central)
Bang for your buck.

Specifications

Display: 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED; 2400 x 1080
CPU: Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2
RAM: 8GB / 12GB
OS: Android 13
Storage: 256GB
Battery: 5,000mAh
Camera: 64MP (wide) + 8MP (ultrawide) + 2MP (macro) rear; 16MP front

Reasons to buy

+
Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 delivers above-expected performance
+
Lovely design
+
IP53 splash and dust resistance
+
Very generous 5,000mAh battery
+
Speedy 67W fast charging

Reasons to avoid

-
Comes with bloatware
-
Lackluster, last-gen cameras
-
Two Android updates
-
No CDMA support in the U.S.

Xiaomi's sub-brand Poco rebrands some of the company's "Mi" phones and wells them under the Poco banner. We aren't complaining, though, because the brilliant Poco F5 is basically just the Redmi Note 12 Turbo, which is an epic device on its own.

As you'd expect from any value phone worth its salt, the Poco F5 has amazing battery life and rapid charging support. The 5,000mAh battery provides more than enough juice for the Poco F5 to last two days or more. To top it off, the affordable phone takes it up a notch with 67W wired charging.

You also get IP53 splash and dust-proofing, as well as a 6.67-inch 120Hz AMOLED panel, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, and stereo speakers. Xiaomi promises three years of security updates but only two major OS updates. 

If you need to save some money with your next phone purchase, the Poco F5 is a reasonable flagship that offers great value, especially thanks to its fast performance and vibrant AMOLED screen. Unfortunately, Xiaomi phones don't work on CDMA carriers, so you'd better go for the OnePlus Nord N30 5G if you're in the U.S. and have a tight budget.

Best for gaming

RedMagic 9 Pro

(Image credit: Namerah Saud Fatmi / Android Central)
Wallet-friendly gaming phone.

Specifications

Display: 6.8-inch 120Hz AMOLED; 2480 x 1116
CPU: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM: 12GB / 16GB
OS: Android 14
Storage: 256GB / 512GB
Battery: 6,500mAh
Camera: 50MP (wide) + 50MP (ultrawide); 16MP front

Reasons to buy

+
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with Red Core 2 co-processor
+
Android and RedMagic OS blend in well
+
Vibrant display with no notch
+
Large two-day battery with super fast charging
+
Amazing cooling system
+
Shoulder triggers have RGB lights

Reasons to avoid

-
Front camera isn't good enough yet
-
No wireless charging
-
No IP rating
-
No CDMA support

The RedMagic 9 Pro retains the clean and unassuming design language, but as we note in our review, it still maintains the subtle gamer-esque elements that make it a unique option on this list. RGB lighting is always a nice touch because you don't see that sort of thing on your average Android phone, and putting them on the shoulder panels (doubling as touch buttons) is clear indication of what this phone does. 

Part of that focus is to keep the headphone jack, along with stereo speakers with Dolby DTS:X sound. The ICE 13 cooling system is phenomenal, which helps the cause in both performance and battery life. The notch-less display will blow you away, protected with Gorilla Glass 5 and aluminum edges. There's an under-display camera instead of your regular front camera, making the 6.8-inch 120Hz AMOLED display look even nicer. While a little better, it doesn't yet meet a higher quality standard for a phone in this range.

Of course, this being a gaming phone, the guts are as beautiful as the exterior. You get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the Red Core 2 Pro co-processor, a 6,500mAh battery, 80W fast wired charging, decent cameras, three gaming mics, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.3. Considering the price, this is an excellent gaming phone that most people can afford.

Don't miss out on the headphone jack

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Nowadays, most companies have moved past the norm of including a headphone jack in the best Android phones. Users now have to decide whether they want a flagship device or a 3.5mm port. If you're unwilling to make do with USB-C headphone adapters or the best wireless headphones, there are still several solid choices.

There aren't many modern phones that come with a headphone jack as well as the latest OS and guaranteed support for many years. Thankfully, the mighty little Zenfone 10 makes up for the lack of variety by being so great. You can purchase the brilliant ASUS Zenfone 10 to get literally every feature under the sun, including a 3.5mm audio port. The phone comes in some beautiful colorways, and it delivers a sublime user experience owing to its top-notch internals.

According to at least one Android Central editor, the headphone jack isn't coming back. So you may want to grab one of these phones and enjoy that jack before it goes the way of the dodo bird for good.

Namerah Saud Fatmi
Editor — Accessories, speakers, and tablets

Namerah enjoys geeking out over accessories, gadgets, and all sorts of smart tech. She spends her time guzzling coffee, writing, casual gaming, and cuddling with her furry best friends. Find her on Twitter @NamerahS.

With contributions from
  • Stanley Kubrick
    ALL cell phones should have a headphone jack! I hate ear buds because I do NOT stick plastic items in my ears and I do NOT want to have to charge up another EXPENSIVE piece of tech!
    Wired headphones all the way!!!
    Reply
  • veesonic
    Weird Sony isn't even mentioned 🤔
    Reply
  • mark233
    Yeah, that is weird
    Reply
  • Mooncatt
    veesonic said:
    Weird Sony isn't even mentioned
    Probably didn't want to write a big enough check to get on the list. I've actually put the Xperia 1V on my short list to replace my LG V60 when the time comes (noticing the beginning signs of screen separation). #2 on my list would be a refurbished V60. There is currently no #3.
    Reply