Embodiments of the invention describe apparatuses, systems and methods to detect, during a host platform sleep state, a peripheral device audio jack plug being coupled to (e.g., inserted into) an audio jack connection socket. A specific sleep state of the host platform may be determined, and a system wake event may be generated so that the host platform wakes from the sleep state in response to the peripheral device being coupled to the audio jack connection socket. Thus, embodiments of the invention incorporated in handheld mobile computing devices such as smartphones and tablet computers with limited input/output (I/O) provide a user with alternative means for waking the device from a sleep state.