OnePlus’ decision to remove the headphone jack from its upcoming OnePlus 6T flagship has elicited a polarized response from consumers. Initially, the company had said that a survey it had conducted revealed that most OnePlus customers own a pair of wireless headphones anyway, so it isn’t much of a big deal to ditch the headphone jack. However, it is a bizarre thing to say after being such a strong advocate for this port and criticizing other manufacturers for going forth and removing the 3.5mm audio jack in the first place.
OnePlus CEO Explains That the Removal of the Port Was Necessary in Order to Bring in More Features
In the wake of heavy criticism, the company’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Pete Lau has now highlighted other reasons behind this decision. First of all, the removal of the 3.5mm connector will free up some real estate for the in-display fingerprint reader.
Related OnePlus 6T Leaks In Glossy And Matte Black Finish Showcasing The Tiny Notch
Though defensible, this reasoning is not all that compelling, given the fact that the jack could have been moved to the top of the device and some phones, such as the Vivo X21 UD, come with both a 3.5mm connector and in-display fingerprint sensor. Since companies usually optimize smartphone space to save costs and pack in the features they deem the most important; we are tempted to give the company a little benefit of the doubt.
The removal of the beloved headphone jack has also enabled the company to pack in a bigger 3,700mAh battery, an upgrade from the 3,300mAh cell found in the OnePlus 6. Pete also says that the available space will give more room to the wireless charging technology to dissipate heat but it remains to be seen if the technology will make it to the phone.
Whatever the reasoning might be, most customers are probably disappointed about the controversial decision right now but OnePlus is unlikely to be affected, as any loss in sales would be compensated by its partnership with T-Mobile in the U.S. Moreover, the company is also expected to expand its reach to other countries by the end of this year. The latest move reminds us of Apple, which apparently follows a business model of earning off proprietary products, even though the Type-C USB port is readily found on other smartphones.
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Source: CNET
