Whip out your charging pads, because the OnePlus 8 Pro may have support for wireless charging. According to a cryptic tweet from leaker Max J., OnePlus’ historical criticism of wireless charging is weakening, and the Chinese smartphone manufacturer may be adding wireless charging in its next major phone release.
Details in the tweet are sparse, and it chiefly consists of a single image of a phone on a charging pad and the caption “Charge like a pro.”
You can easily be forgiven for not immediately recognizing the device as the rumored OnePlus 8 Pro. After all, how many phones these days have a hole-punch display and a bezel-less design? Max lays a small clue in the caption with the mention of “pro,” but the design similarities to past Samsung phones and the addition of Samsung’s own wireless charging indicator confuse the matter somewhat.
As Max himself says, the image is for illustrative purposes only, but it’s still a rather confusing choice. Still, the design matches past leaks of the OnePlus 8, lending some strength to the idea this could a feature on the OnePlus 8 Pro at the very least.
OnePlus’ next phone range is expected to jump on the hole-punch bandwagon with a new design that also includes a quad-lens rear camera. The new Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 is also expected, as are the usual bumps in specifications. It’s always worth keeping an eye on OnePlus’ RAM numbers, as the manufacturer has often leaned toward the upper edge, being among the first to ship phones with 10GB of RAM and above. Interestingly, OnePlus may ship three phones this year, with rumors describing a OnePlus 8 Lite.
OnePlus has traditionally avoided wireless charging, with CEO Pete Lau having previously defended the position by pointing out that OnePlus’ proprietary Warp Charge is fast enough to make wireless charging pointless. But of course, it’s worth pointing out wireless charging isn’t about speed — it’s about convenience. Popping a phone down on a pad is much easier than searching for a charging cable, and it’s the preferred method of charging for many. With OnePlus continuing to court the flagship market by offering high specs for lower prices, adopting wireless charging is an inevitability.
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