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A portless phone with wired charging might be on the horizon

A smartphone maker may have figured out how to include wired charging on a portless phone.
By
April 6, 2021
vivo Apex 2020 In Display Camera
TL;DR
  • OPPO apparently has a prototype portless and buttonless phone that supports wired charging.
  • The device is also rumored to have an under-display selfie camera and electrochromic tech to hide the rear shooter.

OPPO might be working on a portless, button-free phone as per the latest leak by Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station. However, unlike similar prototypes from Xiaomi and Vivo that only get a wireless charging option, OPPO’s version is also said to include wired charging.

The leaker claims that OPPO’s portless prototype has a USB interface hidden by “a special structural design” that is absolutely integrated with the phone. It sounds like OPPO could be experimenting with a proprietary charging technique that allows for wired charging without the need for an actual charging port. Perhaps it’s something like Apple’s MagSafe technology that uses magnets and an integrated charging coil to charge the iPhones 12 lineup.

Elsewhere, the leak also reveals that OPPO’s portless phone ditches punch holes and notches by using an under-display selfie camera. The rear camera is believed to use electrochromic tech to hide its existence, possibly similar to what we saw on the OnePlus Concept One.

In place of physical buttons, the OPPO phone is rumored to feature pressure-sensitive side buttons.

We don’t know if OPPO plans to showcase this alleged portless prototype publicly like its sister brand vivo did with its Apex line. There’s also no word on if this device will ever go into mass production. However, one thing is clear that smartphone OEMs are seriously considering a portless future. We might not be ready for it just yet, but it’s definitely on the horizon.

Would you want future portless phones to retain wired charging?

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