Wired Cellular Headsets

How do wired cellular headsets work?

Cutting the cord may be the new way of doing things, but there’s nothing quite as reliable as a cable that plugs in. Wired cellular headsets are often in-ear headphones that come equipped with a built-in attachment allowing you to talk on the phone or use a voice assistant without touching your phone.

That attachment is often called an “inline remote” because it’s embedded in the cable and comes with a microphone inside. Often times, there will also be controls for volume and playback, helping deliver a more hands-free experience when on the go.

They are usually made with the traditional 3.5mm jack at the end that works with a headphone input on any compatible device. Plugging the cell headset in gives it a power source enabling audio playback and inline remote control.

The benefits of wired cellular headsets

Plugging in a wired cell headset means you only have one battery to worry about, not two. The mobile device you plug into will run on a battery, but not your wired cellular headset, letting you listen to audio without worrying about wireless interference or a low battery warning.

The inline remote controls make it easy to play, pause, skip or repeat a song when listening at any time. Raise or lower volume as necessary, and accept an incoming call using the microphone to talk to the person on the other end. There may be controls for triggering your voice assistant, like Siri, Google Assistant or Bixby, so you can ask a question or set a command.

The hands-free experience also falls under the right side of the law across the country, including when driving a vehicle. If your car doesn’t have Bluetooth, a wired cell headset is a hands-free alternative that also maintains privacy because calls won’t run through the car stereo.

What devices are wired cellular headsets compatible with?

Wired cellular headsets work with any device that has a 3.5mm input, or headphone jack, as it’s more popularly known. It’s a plug-and-play combination. You plug in the headset and it just works, routing your phone’s audio through it.

In cases where your phone may not have a 3.5mm headphone jack, you can use an adapter to still plug in the same way. There are 3.5mm-to-USB-C adapters for Android devices and 3.5mm-to-Lightning adapters for Apple iOS devices. These sometimes come in the box when purchasing phones, whereas other times, they don’t.

Aside from the adapters, however, compatibility is pretty universal, and inline controls will function, regardless of whether it’s an iOS or Android handset. Whether you choose to go the stereo route with a pair of in-ear headphones, or the mono route with a single-ear model, you don’t need to be tech-savvy to work with either type.