Fans have been asking OnePlus for years to add wireless charging support o their handsets, a feature that was available on almost every other Android flagship and the iPhone — Apple only started supporting the function in 2017. OnePlus resisted, arguing that wireless charging technology isn’t where it should be, and fast wired charging is more convenient to the user. While OnePlus snubbed wireless charging, the company did invest in delivering faster wired charging. But wireless charging is finally coming to OnePlus phones. That’s what a leaker said a few days ago, and OnePlus’s latest move suggests the OnePlus 8 might be the first smartphone series to support wireless charging.
The OnePlus 8 handset is expected to feature a 120Hz display, a feature the company confirmed well ahead of the phone’s launch. Wireless charging might be a second signature feature for the handset, but it’s one that OnePlus is yet to address publicly.
Even so, Mobile Scout found evidence that OnePlus is working on wireless charging. The Chinese smartphone maker joined that Wireless Power Consortium, which means it’s interested in Qi wireless charging. Joining the consortium is mandatory before launching products that support the Qi standard.
While this is proof that OnePlus is working on Qi wireless charging devices, there’s no evidence to support the rumors that said the OnePlus 8 will support the feature. However, given the increasingly competitive smartphone market, it makes sense to assume OnePlus may soon cave in and add wireless charging coils to OnePlus handsets. It may not be as fast as wired charging, but it is incredibly convenient. All you need is a wireless charging mat on your desk, and the phone will recharge while you don’t use it.
The OnePlus 8 series, which will probably feature a Pro model, should be unveiled in the first half of 2020, but we don’t have launch dates for you just yet.
