Not all 3.5mm jacks/sockets are created equal?

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
20,588
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While my Nexus 5 is out of commission (likely definitely), I'm borrowing my wife's old phone (Alcatel OneTouch Idol S). It does something I've never seen before - it ignores anything else plugged into its 3.5mm audio socket except for standard headphones, which means no kitchen speakers while I wash up and no connectivity to my car stereo. Is this a common issue?
 

mikeymikec

Lifer
May 19, 2011
20,588
15,467
136
I've compared the plug on my headphones to the plug on the kitchen speakers and they look the same (two bands, not three), so it's not a TRS/TRRS problem.