Placeholder. While most flagship smartphone makers keep removing the headphone jack and microSD slot, one major manufacturer's newest flagship deliberately keeps both — a genuine counter-trend bet that a meaningful segment of buyers still values practical expandability over minimalist design.
What we've found so far: Sony's Xperia 1 VIII retains both the 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD slot, both dropped by major flagship competitors, while reportedly outperforming the Pixel 10 Pro XL in GSMArena benchmarks.
Open research: Interview Sony on the actual sales rationale for retaining these features against the industry trend; check whether Xperia's retention correlates with higher sales in specific buyer segments (audio enthusiasts, professionals).