The age of irritating adapters is upon us, as various device manufacturers continue to nix widely used ports and connectivity options instead of joining hands to move to universally accepted standards.

Worse yet, costly “next-gen” laptops and phones often come without precious accessories inside their retail boxes, requiring additional expenses and unnecessary hassle for a decent user experience. Case in point, the Sprint-exclusive HTC Bolt, now known internationally as the 10 evo.

As if HTC’s Snapdragon 810 processor choice wasn’t controversial enough, the classic audio jack-killing Quad HD 5.5-incher also lacks a basic way to embrace your “obsolete” wired headphones. Fortunately, you can now sign up for a USB-C to 3.5mm cable “reward” with your handheld’s purchase date, transaction number and MEID, although it may still take up to a month for the adapters to reach your doorsteps.

According to global PR Jeff Gordon on Twitter, “future production runs will include the headphone adapter in the box”, which begs the question why wasn’t it like that from the get-go? It’s not that you can’t afford the separate adapter on your own, at between $5 and $10 through third-party sellers, but some things just need to be free. Even Apple agrees.

On the bright side, it’s important to remember the HTC Bolt, available today and tomorrow for $300 instead of $600 at Sprint, is sold with complimentary USB Type-C dual adaptive earphones that apparently tailor sound to your ears’ “unique structure for a truly illuminating audio experience.”

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