Who is looking for a flagship with a headphone jack in 2026 will face an extremely limited choice. By now almost all manufacturers have removed the 3.5 mm port to make room for bigger batteries or other internal components. Some budget or mid-range phones still offer it, but flagship models are now almost completely devoid of it.
Exceptions are very rare and soon another name will be added to the list: the next Sony Xperia 1 VIII should continue the tradition of the series, but it could be the only name of 2026.
Sony Xperia 1 VIII with 3.5 mm mini jack for headphones: the Japanese company does not give up on audio
If we look at the current landscape, Sony and ASUS are the only brands that offer the 3.5 mm jack on their flagships. The Japanese manufacturer has always focused on photography and audio quality (its fortes) and its flagship lineup continues to offer the jack, including Xperia 1 VII.
Among other devices we find the ROG Phone 9 series and ASUS Zenfone 12 Ultra, but early this year the manufacturer announced its exit from the smartphone market.
This means that Sony represents, in 2026, the last bastion for this feature and Sony Xperia 1 VIII will not be an exception. The device has been identified in the FCC database with the code PY7-30515Z: the commercial name does not appear in the documents but the chances that it is the flagship are extremely high.
There are no technical details but it references WiFi 7 connectivity, 5G and the much-talked-about 3.5 mm headphone jack. So the new Xperia could be the only flagship of the year equipped with this port, to the delight of audio purists.
As we await official information, we remind you that the next Xperia 1 VIII should change its look: the leaked images so far show a new square island, a clean break from the usual slim vertical module.
