OnePlus fans told the company it loves headphone jacks… but its next phone won’t have one

OnePlus 6T to embrace Bluetooth (or USB-C) headphones

OnePlus

Karen Chiu

Published: 10:57pm, 17 Sep, 2018

Why you can trust SCMP

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

In March, OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei asked fans a question on Twitter: Do you like headphone jacks?

Whether it was a dig at Apple, which ditched the jack on the iPhone 7, or a bit of promotion for the OnePlus 6, fans voted overwhelmingly: 88% said they like headphone jacks, over 19,000 votes in all.

Six months later, OnePlus confirms it’s doing what seemingly everyone else is doing, and will ditch the headphone jack for the OnePlus 6T.

Pei told TechRadar it did it to free up space for new technology on the phone. For users who aren’t quite ready to go wireless, the device will still come with a 3.5mm to USB-C dongle, or they can also buy a new pair of US$19.99 USB-C headphones separately from OnePlus. (As TechRadar notes, previous OnePlus phones didn’t come with headphones in the box -- suggesting the upcoming 6T won’t either.)

OnePlus 6T will have an in-screen fingerprint sensor… and look a lot like Vivo and Oppo’s latest phones

USB-C headphones have been here for a while, but they haven’t really caught on. Even Apple, which puts USB-C ports on MacBooks, doesn’t do the same on iPhones. That means OnePlus 6T users won’t have a whole lot of choices when it comes to USB-C headphones.

The about-face from a company proud to tout their headphone jacks just a few months ago hasn’t gone down well with fans.

But if there’s one thing that can console disgruntled fans, Pei says the new phone will have improved battery life, although he didn’t offer any more details.

For more insights into China tech, sign up for our tech newsletters, subscribe to our Inside China Tech podcast, and download the comprehensive 2019 China Internet Report. Also roam China Tech City, an award-winning interactive digital map at our sister site Abacus.

Post