Can't speak for everyone but here are the reasons I prefer an actual jack:

• 3.5mm headphones are extremely universal and can be used for any audio device. USB-C and Bluetooth headphones cannot

• Bluetooth is extremely inconsistent when paired with multiple devices and often gets disconnected because of competing devices

• I can't charge my phone and listen to USB c headphones at the same time

• Manufacturers claim the removal of the jack was to improve the water resistance. I have never dropped my phone in water and would be willing to risk it.

• I already have too many wireless things to charge

• I have a small stockpile of broken wireless headphones. Meanwhile my 10 year old wired headphones are collecting dust

• I have never lost something more often than that tiny ass USB to 3.5mm dongle adapter

• I distrust large corporations with incentive to get consumers to buy more stuff from them

....to plug headphones in. How is this a genuine question?

People still use their phones to listen to music and wireless earphones are almost universally garbage, require charging, and produce insane amounts of e-waste. Wired headphones don't have these issues

For headphones.

USB-C dongles are notoriously prone to breaking and also are another bunch of silicon and plastic that contributes to e-waste pollution.

though truth be told, most phone 3.5mm outputs suck donkey balls because of massive output impedance and signal to noise ratio on sensitive headphones (of which most portable audio devices are) and companies should be ashamed of putting these hunks of shit in their phones.

To have a convenient cheap set of earbuds that keep working, never need any charging nor can be lost.

You can find those everywhere for like 5€, if you don't get them for free with certain devices.

I still have a couple laying around that have never been used.

I don't get battery operated devices for things that don't stray further than 1 meter from the device they are connected to.

Cars with wired input. More reliable than Bluetooth and not annoying when it connects when you don't want to.

Although I agree with you that the headphone jack should be brought back, I dont think it's fair to say they're forcing you into their ecosystem.

Apple making apple watches only work with iPhones is forcing you into their ecosystem, but with this phone you can use any Bluetooth headphones.

Well, if they actually ensure fair wages for as many people in production as possible, that's just what a phone of this caliber should cost.

Idk, the word price premium sounds more like an arbitrary and baseless increase to me, which this (hopefully) isn't.

There's a lot more that needs to happen, obviously. Because 700 bucks is a lot of money for many people either way, fair or not.

Edit:
OLED. I'm sold. Well, whenever my current phone dies, but then I'm sold.

It is not that Fairphones are expensive.

It is that every other phone is made by slave labour, which makes them inexpensive.

Frankly speaking specs wise seems kinda competitive to me. I certainly would have bought it if i hadnt bought my phone literaly 3 weeks ago. And frankly speaking if they hadnt annouced that headphone jack is not coming back i would have waited for relase instead of buying rog phone on a promo.

I don't mind big screens but they are hard to use with one hand and in the pocket they are too big.

I didn't realise it until later on in its life, but the Pixel 5 was the perfect phone size for me. I hear the Pixel 8 is going to be smaller but the rumor is it has a 6.1" display.