A portable electronic device connectable to each of a plurality of audio accessories such as headphones, headset, amplified speakers or amplified headphones, comprising: a processor provided in a housing; a jack provided in said housing, said jack being sized for receiving a plug of an audio accessory of the plurality of audio accessories; electrical connectors (72, 74, 76, 78) provided in the jack for enabling communication between the audio accessory and the processor, each of the electrical connectors (72, 74, 76, 78) for contacting a corresponding electrical connector (58, 60, 62, 64) of the plug; and a switching circuit in communication with the processor and two of the electrical connectors (72, 74), the processor, after insertion of the plug into the jack, conducting an impedance test on a first one and a second one of the electrical connectors to determine if the first one of the corresponding electrical connectors is electrically grounded and thereby determine whether a connected audio accessory comprises (i) a headset including a microphone or (ii) headphones;and the switching circuit selectively routing audio signals between a second one of the corresponding electrical connectors and the processor if the test indicates that only the first one of the corresponding electrical connectors is electrically grounded, and the switching circuit not routing the audio signals to the processor and routing left speaker and right speaker audio signals from respective ports of the processor to a third one and a fourth one of the electrical connectors (72, 74, 76, 78) provided in the jack if both the first one of the corresponding electrical connectors and the second one of the corresponding electrical connectors are electrically grounded. a processor provided in a housing; a jack provided in said housing, said jack being sized for receiving a plug of an audio accessory of the plurality of audio accessories; electrical connectors (72, 74, 76, 78) provided in the jack for enabling communication between the audio accessory and the processor, each of the electrical connectors (72, 74, 76, 78) for contacting a corresponding electrical connector (58, 60, 62, 64) of the plug; and a switching circuit in communication with the processor and two of the electrical connectors (72, 74), the processor, after insertion of the plug into the jack, conducting an impedance test on a first one and a second one of the electrical connectors to determine if the first one of the corresponding electrical connectors is electrically grounded and thereby determine whether a connected audio accessory comprises (i) a headset including a microphone or (ii) headphones;and the switching circuit selectively routing audio signals between a second one of the corresponding electrical connectors and the processor if the test indicates that only the first one of the corresponding electrical connectors is electrically grounded, and the switching circuit not routing the audio signals to the processor and routing left speaker and right speaker audio signals from respective ports of the processor to a third one and a fourth one of the electrical connectors (72, 74, 76, 78) provided in the jack if both the first one of the corresponding electrical connectors and the second one of the corresponding electrical connectors are electrically grounded. the processor, after insertion of the plug into the jack, conducting an impedance test on a first one and a second one of the electrical connectors to determine if the first one of the corresponding electrical connectors is electrically grounded and thereby determine whether a connected audio accessory comprises (i) a headset including a microphone or (ii) headphones;and the switching circuit selectively routing audio signals between a second one of the corresponding electrical connectors and the processor if the test indicates that only the first one of the corresponding electrical connectors is electrically grounded, and the switching circuit not routing the audio signals to the processor and routing left speaker and right speaker audio signals from respective ports of the processor to a third one and a fourth one of the electrical connectors (72, 74, 76, 78) provided in the jack if both the first one of the corresponding electrical connectors and the second one of the corresponding electrical connectors are electrically grounded.