OnePlus considered second USB-C port instead of 3.5mm jack in 5T smartphone

OnePlus says it has considered replacing the 3.5mm jack with a second USB-C connection in the past. That ultimately did not happen and the unannounced OnePlus 5T will have a 3.5mm jack.

Director Pete Lau writes in a forum post that the advantage of a USB-C port is that his phones could be thinner. In the end, the Chinese company felt that the trade-off in favor of the 3.5mm jack should fall, because a USB-c port would not bring any clear benefits for users. OnePlus says 80 percent of its users use a wired headset.

With the loss of a 3.5mm jack, users are forced to find a wireless alternative or connect their headphones via a USB-C adapter. However, that excludes connecting a charger at the same time, which would still be an option due to a second USB-C connection. Lau gives other arguments for using a traditional jack in his blog post, such as affordable sound quality. Apple dropped the connection from the iPhone 7 and then HTC, Lenovo and Google, among others, did the same. Many smartphone makers do integrate the connection for headsets, it turned out earlier this year.

The forum post is also confirmation that the OnePlus 5T will indeed be equipped with a 3.5mm jack. Telecom journalist Evan Blass, aka @evleaks, recently showed a render of what the OnePlus 5T would be (right). The Chinese company will probably present its new device on November 16.