Jays makes its Five for three… mobile ecosystems, that is

Swedish headphone and earphone design brand appears to be tired of the divide that separates Windows Phone, iOS, and Android users, and has arrived at a decision: a model with variants for all the major platforms.

The headphone control problem isn’t really a problem for users of Apple’s iOS ecosystem, such as the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad devices. Headphones and earphones are almost always developed with these devices in mind, and as such, nine times out of ten, just work.

But Android and Windows Phone users aren’t quite as lucky.

While the headphones will play sound when used with these devices, often the remote controls attached to the cord are useless, half working or just plain not doing much at all, angering customers in the process.

That’s not usually a direct fault of the headphone makers, it’s just that from what we’ve seen, every operating system has a different way of handling the remote.

More annoying is that not all headphone jacks are created equal, and while some Android smartphone manufacturers have started using the same style of TRRS jack as the iPhone – which in turn allows some headphones to be compatible – not all work, and so customers can be left in a rut.

Jays has come up with a solution in the form of its a-Jays Five, a new earphone that arrives in three models, so compatibility isn’t a problem: there’s an iOS model, an Android model, and a Windows Phone model.

Remotes from left to right: iOS (iPhone), Android, Windows Phone.

All three sit under the a-Jay Five model, but offer different remotes for each of the different operating systems, making it possible for anyone with each of the popular mobile phones to pause and play music, accept a phone call, and change volume without reaching for their actual handset.

Android users will also see access to an app later on that makes it possible to change what the buttons do.

Models in the a-Jays Five range will all come with a microphone using an “acoustic sensor, low noise input buffer, and an output amplifier” which apparently helps to make audio excellent anywhere. A carrying case, cable clip, and five types of silicone sleeves are also included, as is flat cabling, which is important to help reduce tangling.

Pricing for Australia hasn’t been set yet, though with a US price of $100, we suspect Australians shouldn’t be charged more than $150 (and given US tax isn’t normally added, we’d expect between $119 and $130 AUD).

We’ll know soon enough, though, when Jays releases them in the next few months.

The a-Jays Five will be available in white or black.