Ask a lot of people when the headphone jack went away from smartphones and they will likely point to the iPhone 7 by 2016. This is certainly the most famous example that has led many Android phone manufacturers to follow suit.
However, Apple wasn’t the first. As it turned out, Oppo was the first major brand to forego the headphone jack with its mid-sized Oppo R5 in the fall of 2014, a full two years before the iPhone. Here’s why Oppo pulled the 3.5mm connector first, and why Apple’s move ended up being more popular with the public.
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Why Oppo removed the headphone jack
Put simply, Oppo removed the headphone jack to brag about its rights. At 4.85 mm thick, the R5 was the thinnest smartphone in the world when it was announced. It was barely thicker than the micro-USB port you used to charge it, and a 3.5mm port would have been difficult. The R5 lost that crown to the 4.75mm Vivo X5 Max (which included a jack, we’d add), but it was clearly an attention grabber at a time when flagships like the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6 were comparatively chunkier were.
Oppo has included an adapter that allows users to use existing headphones with a 3.5mm jack. Unfortunately, for those who couldn’t stand dongles and tangled cables, the R5 came long before the Bluetooth earbuds were really ready for the mainstream. You have made a conscious sacrifice in the name of aesthetics.
Apple’s reasons for pulling the headphone jack were more practical. While you probably remember the company justifying the removal out of “courage,” the tech giant also noted that clearing the old port freed up valuable interior space. For example, Apple could use a stronger Taptic Engine (haptic feedback) or a larger battery. Whether or not you bought that argument at the time, the iPhone X and future Android phones have done better by packing a variety of features into designs that have remained relatively thin.
Why Apple popularized the concept
But why did Apple cause the phone industry to drop the headphone jack when Oppo’s efforts gained little ground? First of all, Apple’s clout certainly helped. As a massive phone brand with a long history of trend-setting brands, the concept could become palatable to competitors who are reluctant to take the lead. Even Samsung, which beat Apple up for not using the 3.5mm port, quietly withdrew its criticism after the Galaxy Note 10 series was released.
Mind you, that wasn’t the only explanation. Apple combined the iPhone 7 launch with the debut of the original AirPods and provided buyers with a set of wireless earbuds that were easy to set up and convenient to use. Whether or not you viewed this move as a cynical ploy to promote accessory sales, removing the headphone jack was easier to swallow as wireless audio was virtually painless. AirPods undoubtedly enjoyed great public acceptance, becoming hugely successful, and inspiring a wave of imitators.
In this light, Oppo’s movement was too early. The company didn’t have enough clout in 2014 to shake up the industry by removing the headphone jack, and the R5 neither benefited from the choice nor had a viable headphone alternative in the wings. Apple managed to come up with a stronger argument and get all of the parts in place at the right time.
This is the thirteenth contribution in our “Did You Know That” series. In it, we dive into the history books of Android and consumer technology to uncover important and interesting facts or events that have been forgotten over time. What would you like to see from us next? Let us know in the comments and check out our previous entries in the series below.