External Antenna Jack
A connector that allows an external antenna to be connected for improved reception while in vehicles and/or homes. The antenna may be located outdoors for maximum signal performance.
External antenna jacks were common before smartphones, but are now extremely rare. Most modern phones do not have one.
The jack is usually hidden behind a small rubber plug on the back of the phone, or may be cleverly hidden behind a camera mirror or decorative element. Other phones hide the jack behind the battery cover, making it only semi-accessible.
Not all jack connectors are the same. Attention must be paid the type in order to ensure connector compatibility.
Last updated Oct 16, 2015 by Rich Brome
Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
