This upcoming Android phone is bringing back the headphone jack in style

Summary

• Moondrop teased a new Android phone tailored for audiophiles with a 3.5mm headphone jack and balanced 4.4mm audio output.
• The device could be a collaborative effort with a brand like OnePlus, or a possible rebrand of an existing variant for Moondrop’s special Android phone.
• Partnering with an Android OEM could help Moondrop focus on adding high-end internals without sacrificing long-term hardware repairs and software updates.

Apple kicked off a trend of sorts, removing the headphone jack from iPhones nearly a decade ago in 2016, when the iPhone 7 launched. Android brands swiftly followed suit, creating a market for some of our favorite true-wireless earbuds. However, connoisseurs of high-res lossless music remained faithful to their wired gear and the lack of a headphone jack vastly expanded the market for digital audio players (DAPs) running Android. However, DAP and audiophile-focused headphone maker Moondrop has other ideas — a full-fledged android phone with high-end DAP features.

To ease into the future without a headphone jack, some Android phones shipped with a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter while the phone retained an internal digital to analog converter (DAC). However, newer flagships like Google’s Pixel series skip this courtesy and some even force you to use a USB-C dongle DAC instead of a simple converter. Moondrop is a popular Chinese brand known for making headphones, earbuds, and dongle DACs, but it recently teased the upcoming arrival of its latest Android phone.

A phone built for audiophiles

In a series of posts to Twitter and Instagram, Moondrop revealed the device will feature a conventional 3.5mm headphone jack along with a 4.4mm audio output jack, often known for balanced output which helps drive high-impedance headphones. However, the company doesn’t say if the phone will feature two separate headphone jacks like a DAP, or will just have the larger 4.4mm one with a 3.5mm adapter included in the box.

From the leaked images, it appears Moondrop is working with OnePlus to slightly remodel an existing variant and sell it with Moondrop branding, currently codenamed MIAD 01. Upon close inspection, you’ll notice the rear camera lens placement resembles the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite, as does the curved screen and center-aligned hole-punch camera cutout on the front.

A partnership with an Android OEM is likely because it would be easier for Moondrop to customize and Android skin and focus on adding high-end internals to an existing Android device instead of creating a decked-out DAP with calling and camera support. Partnering with a larger company would also help the brand offer long-term hardware repairs and software updates — a pain point for Moondrop with its Link app.

Interestingly, the phone features a hump surrounding the camera lenses instead of a camera island. We believe that could help accommodate the thicker 4.4mm female plug and new hardware isolated from electrical noise without disturbing the device’s internal component layout.

Other customizations like unique wallpapers and rear panel graphics are also visible in the teaser shots, much like you would expect from a special edition phone. That said, there’s no word of an official launch date or plans for sale in the US yet, but things are looking up for audiophiles still clutching onto their LG V60s.