The next version of the best smartphone you can buy may finally come with wireless charging
- The unannounced OnePlus 8 may come with wireless charging and a Samsung-style "hole-punch" screen designed to let the selfie camera peek through without a notch, according to rumors.
- No OnePlus phones have featured wireless charging so far, so it would be a first if the rumor is true.
- Despite lacking wireless charging, OnePlus phones consistently top our list of recommended smartphones for their value, performance, features, and designs.
- OnePlus recently announced the OnePlus 7T. The company's previous release cycle indicates we might expect new OnePlus phones in just six months.
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The unannounced OnePlus 8 smartphone is rumored to feature wireless charging, according to reliable gadgets leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer, known as @OnLeaks on Twitter.
Wireless charging on the so-called OnePlus 8 would be a first for OnePlus phones, which have consistently topped our list of top smartphones despite lacking the feature.
Indeed, OnePlus phones offer a better balance of value, performance, features, and design than any other smartphone out there. The $600 OnePlus 7T, for example, outperforms smartphones that cost $300 more while looking good and sporting a triple-lens camera system.
Some have complained that OnePlus phones haven't featured wireless charging. But for the OnePlus phones' value, it's a feature that many can agree is an acceptable compromise.
Instead of wireless charging, the company has developed and included its own wired "Warp Charge" chargers that outperform those from Samsung, Apple, and other big smartphone makers. OnePlus' chargers contain the majority of the heat created by charging in the charging brick itself to prevent heat-related wear on the battery, the company said. It's tough to fully test this claim, but one other thing's for sure: OnePlus chargers are among the fastest on any smartphone.
It's also said that the OnePlus 8 will feature a notch-free hole-punch screen design to let the selfie camera peek through, which many will instantly recognize as the signature design of Samsung's Galaxy S10 and Note 10 smartphones.
Until now, OnePlus has used tastefully smaller notches and even selfie cameras with a pop-up mechanism to achieve thin screen bezels.
Seeing as these details are still considered rumors, it's unclear when or if OnePlus will announce its phone with wireless charging and a hole-punch screen design. OnePlus has an unusual bi-annual release cycle, and seeing as the OnePlus 7T was just announced, it's entirely possible that the OnePlus 8 will be revealed in six months' time.