The OnePlus 12 may fix one of the OnePlus 11’s biggest mistakes

By Christine Romero-Chan October 23, 2023

Leaked OnePlus 12 render — OnePlus 12 render SmartPrix

OnePlus, which just launched its first folding phone, is set to release the OnePlus 12 in a few months. Now, the latest rumor suggests that it will be fixing one of the biggest mistakes of the OnePlus 11 and the OnePlus Open: the lack of wireless charging.

According to reliable leaker Max Jambor on X (formerly Twitter), the OnePlus 12 will revive wireless charging. Not only will it bring back wireless charging, but it will also wirelessly charge at 50-watt speeds to boot. This wireless charging rumor is also being touted by Digital Chat Station on Chinese social network Weibo.

OnePlus 12 does indeed bring back wireless charging at 50 Watts!

— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) October 23, 2023

There’s a bit of history behind OnePlus and wireless charging. For years, the brand said that it was hesitant to include wireless charging because it was too slow. But when it released the OnePlus 8 Pro, OnePlus 9 Pro, and OnePlus 10 Pro with wireless charging at 50-watt speeds, it impressed many. However, when the OnePlus 11 came out, wireless charging was mysteriously absent. OnePlus often brings up that fast charging via a cable is more useful since you can use your phone while it charges.

OnePlus also just released its first foldable, the OnePlus Open, with a price tag of $1,700. But even its most expensive phone doesn’t have wireless charging, even though its competitors, the Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, do.

OnePlus Open in Emerald Dusk showing Flexion Hinge standing up. — Christine Romero-Chan / Digital Trends

At some point earlier this year, OnePlus did say that it was considering adding wireless charging back in future releases, but never specified when that would happen.

But as we approach the OnePlus 12 launch toward the end of this year or the start of next year, it’s likely we’ll see it return sooner rather than later. This would also make the OnePlus 12 a possible candidate to be one of the first Android phones equipped with Qi2 wireless charging, a technology built on Apple’s MagSafe standard that was introduced at CES 2023.

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Christine Romero-Chan

Staff Writer, Mobile

Christine Romero-Chan has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade. She graduated from California…

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