Nobody was really happy when the phone companies decided that the headphone jack was to be made extinct, but the blow was softened by the fact they started throwing in 3.5mm adaptors and USB-C (or Lightning, if you’re an iPhone user) earbuds into the box. But that trend is slowly dying off, and it seems Google is sticking to that trend for the Pixel 4.
Last year the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL came with both a USB-C to 3.5mm adaptor and a pair of wired Pixel Buds, meaning anyone who bought one had the option could use their old wired headphone or opt for Google’s newer earbuds. But this year that isn’t to be the case, as pictures posted to Reddit seem to show.
As you can see in the third image the Pixel 4’s box only has the phone, an 18W USB charger, a charging cable, and a ‘quick switch (USB-C male to USB-A female) adaptor. In other words no audio devices of any kind.
If you want to use wired 3.5mm headphones you’ll need to buy one for yourself, and Google just so happens to sell it for £12. Likewise the USB-C Pixel Buds are also available for £30.
There’s always a chance that this leak is a big fat phoney, but as we get closer to launch (tomorrow) these phones will be ready to head out to retailers. In other words there’s a reasonable chance that this is for real. I suppose we’ll find out soon enough.