The first smartphone without a headphone jack was not an iPhone – Marseille News

Ask a lot of people when the headphone jack started disappearing from smartphones and they will probably point to the iPhone 7 from 2016. This is certainly the best-known example, the one that has prompted many Android phone makers to follow suit.

However, Apple was not the first. It turns out that Oppo was the first big brand to ditch the headphone jack with its mid-range Oppo R5 in the fall of 2014, two years before the iPhone. Here’s why Oppo first removed the 3.5mm port, and why Apple’s decision ultimately resonated with the public more.

Read more: The best phones with a headphone jack

Why Oppo removed the headphone jack

Simply put, Oppo took the headphone jack out for bragging rights. With a thickness of 4.85 mm (0.19 inches), 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 a tough fit. The R5 lost that crown to the 4.75mm Vivo X5 Max (which included a socket, we’d add), but it was clearly a device that was gaining attention in an era when flagships like the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6 were comparatively larger.

To its credit, Oppo has included an adapter so users can use existing headphones with a 3.5mm jack. Unfortunately for those who couldn’t stand dongles and tangled wires, the R5 arrived long before Bluetooth headphones were really ready for the mainstream. You were making a conscious sacrifice in the name of aesthetics.

Apple’s reasons for removing the headphone jack were more practical. While you probably remember that the company justified the removal with “courage,” the tech giant also noted that removing the legacy port freed up valuable internal space. Apple could install a more powerful Taptic motor (haptic feedback) or a bigger battery, for example. Whether or not you bought that argument back then, the iPhone X and future Android phones have made a better case by cramming a lot of features into designs that have remained relatively slim.

Why Apple Made the Concept “Popular”

But why did Apple push the phone industry to ditch the headphone jack when Oppo’s efforts were gaining little traction? Apple’s influence certainly helped, for a start. As a massive phone brand with a long history of trending, this could make the concept acceptable to rivals who were reluctant to take the lead. Even Samsung, which criticized Apple for ditching the 3.5mm port, quietly drew its criticism after the release of the Galaxy Note 10 series.

It wasn’t the only explanation, mind you. Apple has linked the launch of the iPhone 7 to the launch of the original AirPods, giving buyers a set of wireless headphones that are easy to install and use. Whether or not you saw the move as a cynical ploy to boost accessory sales, it made the headphone jack removal easier to swallow by making wireless audio almost painless. The AirPods have certainly resonated with the public, becoming a smash hit and inspiring a wave of copiers.

With that in mind, Oppo’s move was too small, too soon. The company didn’t have enough clout in 2014 to shake up the industry by removing the headphone jack, and the R5 didn’t gain much choice or have a viable headphone alternative waiting behind the scenes. Apple has succeeded by making a stronger argument and putting all the pieces in place at the right time.

This is the thirteenth article in our “Did You Know” series. In this one, we dive into the history books of Android and mainstream tech to uncover important and interesting facts or events that have been forgotten over time. What do you want us to cover next? Let us know in the comments and check out our previous entries in the series below.

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