OnePlus 8 wireless charging seemingly confirmed by WPC membership

By Ewdison Then/Jan. 30, 2020 8:13 pm EST

Gone are the days when the industry had two competing wireless charging standards (cue XKCD strip) and, fortunately, it didn't require creating a third standard to rule them all. The Wireless Power Consortium, which oversees all things Qi-related, was the last standard standing and now everyone that wants to officially make a device using the wireless charging tech has to be part of that group. Including, it turns out, OnePlus, whose next flagship may just be its first phone to support the feature.

OnePlus takes hard sometimes controversial stances on a lot of features or the lack of them, at least until it doesn't anymore. It poked fun at other dropping the 3.5mm headphone jack until it, too, went down that road. So far, it hasn't reversed its position on wireless charging but that may no longer be the case.

Poking at the Wireless Power Consortium's (WPC) list of members, Mobilescout discovered that OnePlus is actually listed as a full member under OEM/ODM suppliers. How long that has been the case is unknown but its cousin OPPO joined the group just last year. This membership also comes almost two years after the company switched to using glass on its back, one of the possible materials that allow for wireless charging to be used.

Whether or not the OnePlus 8 or OnePlus 8 Pro will finally get this much-requested feature is not yet certain, just that OnePlus is now licensed to do so. The company has been critical about how wireless charging doesn't yet meet its rather high requirements. Membership in the WPC may express a change of heart or a desire to be a part of improving the technology.

Compared to other phones expected this half of the year, rumors about the OnePlus 8 are still on the slim side. One main feature that has at least been confirmed by the company itself is the 2K 120Hz screen that will make the phone compete with other gaming smartphones. It definitely won't have the "invisible cameras" OnePlus is now taking around the world in the Concept One phone.