The removal of the wired headphone jack wasn’t a sudden decision by any single manufacturer—it was a transformation driven by the industry in relay, fueled by both technological considerations and commercial logic.

Early pioneers: In 2014, OPPO removed the 3.5mm headphone jack for the first time on the R5 to achieve an ultra‑thin body of just 4.85mm. Then, in April 2016, LeEco’s Super Phone 2 series replaced the headphone jack with a USB‑Type‑C port. However, neither attempt triggered a wave of imitators, largely due to the limited brand influence of these companies at the time.

The industry catalyst: The real turning point came in September 2016, when Apple launched the iPhone 7 and boldly eliminated the long‑standard 3.5mm headphone jack, while simultaneously introducing the AirPods true wireless earbuds. Leveraging its enormous brand power, Apple made the “port‑less” design the new industry norm. Major players like Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi quickly followed suit, effectively ending the era of the headphone jack on mainstream flagship phones.

The underlying reasons: Publicly, manufacturers cited space savings inside the device and improved dust and water resistance as the key reasons for removing the jack. But the deeper commercial motive was to drive adoption of the high‑margin TWS (true wireless stereo) earphone ecosystem, opening up a new revenue stream. Apple’s AirPods alone generate tens of billions of dollars in annual revenue.

Today, the 3.5mm headphone jack survives only on a few gaming‑focused phones and niche models. USB‑Type‑C wired earphones and DAC dongles have become the mainstream alternatives. And in recent years, wired earphones—thanks to their freedom from battery anxiety and lossless audio quality—have even made a comeback as a retro trend among younger consumers.