While Oppo and OnePlus remain separate brands, the company behind them has now merged, and this recently combined entity has previously promised a OnePlus phone with 150W fast charging. Now it looks as though that phone is almost here.
As spotted by MySmartPrice, a OnePlus handset with 160W fast charging has been spotted getting regulatory approval in China, suggesting a launch is now very close. The listing also reveals that the phone comes with 5G connectivity.
That 160W is likely to equate to 150W in the actual specs list – as suggested by well-known tipster Digital Chat Station – and all the signs point to this being the device that Oppo half announced a couple of weeks ago.
Questions remain
What we don't know yet is what the phone is going to be called. At its MWC 2022 press conference, Oppo said that there would be no OnePlus 10 joining the OnePlus 10 Pro – but does that leave the door open for a OnePlus 10 Ultra or similar?
Meanwhile at the start of this month we saw leaked images of a mystery OnePlus smartphone that is significantly different in terms of design from the OnePlus 10 Pro. At the moment it's far from clear just what Oppo and OnePlus are planning.
According to Digital Chat Station, the upcoming handset is going to have a 6.7-inch display and will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset, with a triple-lens rear camera on the back. Add in the fast charging, and it sounds like a formidable phone.
Analysis: charging speeds keep on improving
It doesn't look as though this mystery phone is going to be the first to market with 150W fast charging, because we're expecting the Realme GT Neo 3 to launch before the end of the month – with that 150W figure as one of the key specs.
From what we've heard so far, the OnePlus phone is going to come packing a 4,500mAh battery, and will be able to charge up from zero to a hundred percent in battery terms in just 15 minutes. You don't have to wait around for long at all.
While we're waiting for the details, most similar fast charging tech has worked by splitting the battery up into two components and charging them simultaneously. We'll have to wait and see whether this is the approach that OnePlus takes here, but it's likely.
We've been told that the battery will keep at least 80% of its full capacity even after 1,600 charges, so long-term battery health shouldn't be a problem – and when charging speeds are so fast, it means that battery life isn't quite so important.
