New leaked information may have revealed some pretty big details about the OnePlus 12, which is expected to arrive early next year. From the sound of things, the upcoming device may address one of the biggest criticisms about the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus Open, namely the lack of wireless charging.

According to Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station, the OnePlus 12 could again feature 50W wireless charging. Even though wireless charging is a standard feature on almost all other premium smartphones, and even many inexpensive mid-range smartphones, OnePlus has been inconsistent in including this feature.

Wireless charging has only been available on OnePlus phones since the OnePlus 8 Pro in 2020, long after competitors, including Apple, have included it. There have been OnePlus phones with wireless charging since then, but it is by no means clear whether this feature will be available.

To cite an example, the $1,699 OnePlus Open does not have wireless charging at all. The Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 have wireless charging capabilities; even the $699 Motorola Razr (2023) has wireless charging, albeit limited to just 5W.

OnePlus' excuses for the lack of wireless charging are equally inconsistent. The company originally claimed that it wanted wireless charging to be on par with wired charging before it was worth offering wireless charging. It also claimed that ultra-fast wired charging makes wireless charging unnecessary.

Still, people want wireless charging for the convenience of being able to toss their phones onto a pad or stand and not be limited by a cable of some sort. I am one of the latest converts to the concept of wireless charging.

As with the One Plus 10 Pro, Digital Chat Station claims that the OnePlus 12 will offer wireless charging speeds of up to 50W. It seems likely that this will only be possible with its own AIRVOOC wireless charger.

The changes coming to the OnePlus 12 next year may not be the only reintroduction of wireless charging. It may also feature an upgraded camera, faster data transfer speeds, and an IR blaster, which is rare in modern smartphones.

Digital Chat Station claims that the OnePlus 12's camera will feature a 64MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The rest of the camera specs are not specified, but we can assume that it is at least equivalent to the OnePlus 11 (with a 50MP main lens, 48MP ultrawide, and 16MP selfie camera).

OnePlus is also said to include USB 3.2 support, which offers data transfer rates of 5 Gbps to 10 Gbps over a wired connection. This is faster than the OnePlus Open, which has USB 3.1, and the OnePlus 11, which only has USB 2.0 speeds of 480 Mbps. This upgrade also means that the OnePlus 12 can connect to external devices like displays and external storage.

The IR Blaster will also be a boon for anyone who missed the feature, which was discontinued from most mainstream phones about a decade ago. In fact, these days, the feature is only occasionally found on fairly obscure devices or major Chinese brands like Xiaomi, and is rather inaccessible in the US

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Of course, these are all immediate rumors, and there is still much we do not know about this phone. Until then, check out the OnePlus 12 hub for the latest news and rumors. And if you prefer the new foldable, check out our review of the OnePlus Open.