Not everyone is a fan of Bluetooth audio playback. There are still some issues that the tech has to resolve like latency battery drain, sound quality, and even connectivity. But several OEMs, including Google, seem to still want to release devices that don’t have headphone jacks. The Pixel 2 is one of those and so you’ll need a headphone dongle if you want to listen the old school way. Now they’re releasing a new one to improve on the functioning-but-not-so-great former dongle released with the Pixel 2.
Google says that the new dongle has 53% lower latency which is pretty important for those who want to have no delays as they listen to music, podcasts, or watch videos. It also says it has resolved some of the battery issues and has a 38% longer playback time. These numbers were in comparison to the old dongle with the Pixel 2 and the new one also used with Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL.
The dongle can also be used with other devices that would need a headphone jack dongle, but Google recommends that it works best with devices that are running Android P or higher. While it’s not a requirement exactly, meaning it will still run even though you’re running a lower Android software, it’s still a mystery as to why it will work best with the latest Android version (even though not a lot of people have it yet).
The whole devices without headphone jacks, which started with one of the recent iPhones a few years ago, is seen as an annoying inconvenience by a lot of users. Yes, you do get a bit more space on your device’s real estate, but as stated, there are still a lot of issues when it comes to Bluetooth audio plus the fact that there aren’t a lot of USB-C speakers and headphones out there.
The new Pixel 2 dongle is now available at the Google Store for $12, a $3 increase from the original one sold separately previously.
VIA: SlashGear
