Hey OnePlus, this isn’t how you do charging in 2023

OnePlus and the Charge are like peanut butter and jelly – they feel great together. Distinctive red cables with fancy names like Warp Charge and SuperVOOC, it is difficult to have one without the other. Even the budget Nord devices enjoy faster charging speeds than their competitors from Google, Apple and Samsung. Of course, those high standards also mean that every time OnePlus puts a charging foot off the line, it’s going to raise eyebrows. Well, consider our raised eyebrows because the OnePlus 11 charging strategy doesn’t make sense right now.

We’ll give OnePlus some credit for continuing to include a charger with its devices long after other brands let it out with the headphone jack. Sometimes it’s also a really good charger – I always carry the 160W USB-C block that comes with the OnePlus 10T Everywhere I go. It was therefore not a surprise to find a charger supplied with the OnePlus 11, but what was surprising was the type of connection. USB-A. In 2023. Complete with USB-A to USB-C cable.

OnePlus has of course offered an explanation for its decision, although it makes less sense the more you think about it. As we explained, the OnePlus 11 comes with a USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-A charger, because if you’re at the hotel and forget your charger, the built-in outlets are more likely to have USB-A connections than USB-C. Sure, that means you’ll be able to charge your phone in a snap, but that ignores the fact that a standard USB-A port won’t have the hardware to support 80W charging (or 100 W) on your OnePlus 11. You’d still need your included pad to fast chargeregardless of the type of plug.

The explanation makes even less sense when you look at the chargers of OnePlus’ latest launches. USB-C has been the standard – at least at a flagship level – since the OnePlus 8T. Why would the need for a USB-A port in a hotel only become an important explanation now? OnePlus even offered a deep dive in the charging capabilities of the OnePlus 10T, touting its Power delivery support and 150W universal charging speed while presumably having already planned this about-face.

While we’re talking confusing U-turns, you won’t find the OnePlus 11 among the best wireless charging phones more. This feature is also gone. Admittedly, OnePlus hasn’t been the fastest to adopt wireless charging. It only made an appearance in 2020 when it landed on the OnePlus 8 Pro with a USB-C charger. Wireless charging then expanded across the entire OnePlus 9 series before picking up speed – literally – on the OnePlus 10 Pro. Now it’s gone. It technically followed the alert slider on the OnePlus 10T, but unlike the slider, wireless charging did not return.

If OnePlus had simply never installed wireless charging, we’d probably be wondering why not, but it’s utterly odd to offer it and then drop it from later flagship generations. The brand offered an explanation shortly after the USB-A and hotel excuse, saying the OnePlus team felt its wired charging speeds were fast enough that most people wouldn’t miss it. not wireless charging. That makes sense, to some extent, because the OnePlus 11 can charge in a snap, but it ignores other features that consumers rely on, like reverse wireless charging or the convenience of setting up. your phone on a charging cradle. in your car.

Even stranger, the new OnePlus Buds 2 Pro, which launched alongside the OnePlus 11, supports wireless charging. They offer solid battery life, but if they run out and you’re nowhere near a charger and an outlet, you’re out of luck. At least bad luck if you have the OnePlus 11. Instead, you’ll either have to have a second phone, which acts as a dedicated power bank, or carry a charger and cable with you at all times and hope for a near exit.

So we’re totally clear, OnePlus and charging speeds are still peanut butter and jelly. The OnePlus 11 returns to a full cell and barely sweats. However, a good, reliable USB setup is about more than just charging.

USB standards also set the tone for data transfer, and the OnePlus 11 still features USB 2.0, which was established in 2000. The dated standard means the OnePlus 11 (like all OnePlus flagships before it ) can only transfer data up to 480 Mbps, while rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra with USB3.2 can transfer files 10 times faster. No, you might not notice if you just send a few photos to your laptop, but 8K video files will keep you waiting a little longer.

Also, while your hotel room might (emphasis on power) have a USB-A port, there’s no guarantee your laptop will. Apple led the charge by removing all but USB-C ports from its MacBook range, and several Windows players have followed suit. Sure, the MacBook Pro clawed back a few of its lost ports, but rivals like the Dell XPS 13 and HP Specter x360 weren’t so quick to turn around. You’ll either have to carry another USB-C cable to exchange files back and forth, or just transfer everything via the cloud.

If you just want the OnePlus 11 for its raw charging speed, more power for you (literally). It returns to a full charge and asks you to ignore its other charging issues and USB shortcomings. He ignores his recent past and attempts to revert to industry standards that are no longer the norm. No matter how many excuses OnePlus offers, there’s just no good way to make sense of its current approach to charging.

What do you think? Is the charging speed sufficient or should brands rely on full functionality instead? Let us know in the poll below.