Splitter Cable from HTC for extUSB Port

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mobileplanet.com/product.asp?code=140425' target='_blank'>http://www.mobileplanet.com/product.asp?code=140425</a><br /><br /></div>Expansys (MobilePlanet for those readers in the US) has listed a cable from HTC that allows you to split the single extUSB port on your new HTC device into 2 ports. The cable will allow you to charge/sync your phone while you listen to music on your headphones.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/Temporale-20060918-HTCsplitCable.jpg" alt="User submitted image" title="User submitted image"/> <br /><br />I'm not really thrilled with the idea of having to carry another adapter around with me. I understand that this new port is meant to save space on the ever decreasing mobile phone size. But it doesn't matter if you saved half a millimeter, if you make me carry around more stuff. Anyway, for those of you with the new Cingular 3125 or maybe even the Excalibur (S620), you might be interested in picking one of these up.

[jfreiman]

Cingular 3125:

Maybe I'm understanding this product incorrectly, but the 3125 ships with just such a cable in the box which allows for headphnes and charging -- using the proprietry 3125 connector for headphones and charging.

What am I missing?

Does this cable come with companion driver software for HTC/Windows Mobile phones to allow USB headphones? Who makes them?

-John

[Mike Temporale]

Maybe I'm understanding this product incorrectly, but the 3125 ships with just such a cable in the box which allows for headphnes and charging -- using the proprietry 3125 connector for headphones and charging.

Well, it's not a proprietry 3125 connector. It's HTC's new proprietry connector. All their latest devices have this extUSB port on it, including the Excalibur and the new Pocket PC devices.

As for it coming in the box with the 3125, that's news to me. I haven't heard anything about this being included in any of the other StrTrk boxes. Perhaps it's something that Cingular requested.

[Richard76]

Well, that's nice but I would much rather see an extUSB to 3.5 mm adapter for a nice set of headphones. After all, WMP 10, microSD, outside music buttons and cheap OEM headphones! Make sense?

[Jerry Raia]

One of these came with my 3125 also. It looks a little different. It's a Y cable.

[MitchellO]

That cable looks absolutely ridiculous! Why not just have a Y cable with a female miniUSB on one fork, and a 3.5mm on the other. I'm sure a third party will come out with a better cable soon enough. It is after all just pins essentially. Can't be hard to come up with an adaptor.

[ARW]

Is this whole issue the biggest blunder HTC has commited or what?

Personally I'd like to be done with all cables, power excluded until that becomes part of the bluetooth standard.

What I would like to see is a bluetooth transceiver that I could plug My (emphasis on My as I want to use headphones of my choosing) earbuds into that would would transfer audio back and forth to my Smartphone. This doesn't seem like all that complicated a device and it can only be a matter of time before there are a plethora of them available.

That said, maybe there is something like this available already. Anybody aware of such a beast?

[Sven Johannsen]

How about A2DP support on the BT? They bothered to put media buttons on the front, but have the most dismal earphone/headset support possible.

[Jerry Raia]

Well folks, this goes back to my battle that will never end. Phones should not try to be iPods or cameras. The camera and media player are nice little features that can be amusing to play with, that's it! These little irritations you all feel don't bother me a bit. I don't use my phone to play music.

[MitchellO]

Well folks, this goes back to my battle that will never end. Phones should not try to be iPods or cameras. The camera and media player are nice little features that can be amusing to play with, that's it! These little irritations you all feel don't bother me a bit. I don't use my phone to play music.

Thats exactly why I just bought an 8GB iPod nano instead of a big memory card for my phone. Although I have an A2DP headset for my SE M600i, it just isn't the best media player. What I absolutely love is iTunes automatic syncing of the latest music and podcasts in my library. My phone just can't do that.

Yes WMP does have that sort of feature for Windows Mobile based devices, they still don't make the best audio players.

[raaden]

Not to digress, but wasn't the whole point of the post about not having to carry around extra stuff i.e. an mp3 player. If this phone's intention is not to be a media phone what is the point of media buttons on the outside and all the hype about HTC making media centric phones??

I have to completely agree with the posters above, either give me A2DP or a headphone jack; or skip the media buttons and lets just make smart phones. Too many things half done on this guy.