Briefing
- Rumors suggest that the OnePlus 13 could trade in wireless charging for a massive 6,000mAh battery.
- The company just brought back wireless charging to its phones with the OnePlus 12, after missing it from the new hardware for nearly two years.
- The OnePlus 13 may have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chip, 100W wired charging and a 2K LTPO display, but it may ditch the curved panels for a flat display.
OnePlus hasn’t been able to decide on wireless charging. From being one of the best features of the OnePlus 8 Pro to being completely missing from phones like the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Open, it seems like it’s never been a big priority for the brand. With this year’s OnePlus 12, fast wireless charging is back in full force, beating even the wired charging speeds of its closest competitors. However, next year’s expected OnePlus 13 may miss out on wireless charging again, all for the sake of one of the largest batteries ever to be placed in a mainstream smartphone.
Should you buy the OnePlus 12, or wait for the OnePlus 13?
You probably shouldn’t wait for the next generation unless you have to
This rumor comes from well-known tipster Digital Chat Station (via Android Authority ), suggesting that OnePlus is looking to ditch its wireless charging capabilities instead of offering a massive 6,000mAh battery. That’s bigger than the 5,400mAh cell found in the OnePlus 12, and much larger than the 5,000mAh batteries you’ll find in the likes of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Considering that OnePlus devices are already battery champions, that could be a big enough capacity to last three days without getting tired – but it might come at the cost of wireless charging.
Source: Weibo
Alongside that battery, we’re looking at a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, 100W wired charging speeds – though those will likely drop to around 80W in the US – and a 2K LTPO display that Digital Chat Station, via translation, refers to as ” right”. with a “micro-curved glass cover design”. It sounds like OnePlus may finally ditch its curved panels for a flat screen with 2.5D glass bezels, though we’ll have to wait for more design leaks to be sure. All this, plus the same triple camera setup as the OnePlus 12, with minor changes to the device’s periscope lens.
OnePlus can’t decide on wireless charging
From the OnePlus 8 Pro onward, the company’s flagships featured ultra-fast wireless charging for several years, outperforming virtually every other company selling in the US. But since the launch of the OnePlus 10T, it’s clear that OnePlus devalued the feature internally, instead opting to lower the price on its hardware while missing out on what many see as a must-have feature. It wasn’t until this year’s OnePlus 12 that wireless charging returned, and we were hoping to see it extend to future flagships and foldables.
While the OnePlus 13’s larger battery and 100W fast wired charging may satisfy the needs of most users, there are many buyers who want the freedom to choose between a cable and a wireless charger. And considering that no other company – including Samsung and Google – comes close to offering the wireless charging speeds that OnePlus uses in its phones, it will be very disappointing if it disappears from devices again. If you want wireless charging, it might be worth getting this year’s phone instead of waiting for next year’s flagship.
OnePlus 12
The OnePlus 12 builds on the OnePlus 11 in all major areas. While the design is unchanged, the phone features a larger 6.82-inch display with an insane maximum brightness of 4,500 nits. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip inside the phone is more powerful while also being 10% more energy efficient. This is supported by a larger 5,400mAh battery with 100W fast charging.