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So far there hasnt been much progress in making that promise a reality.
But rumor has it that 2025 could be the year that Qi2s magnetic wireless charging could finally go mainstream.
What is Qi2?
Qi2 wireless charging is the second generation of the Qi wireless charging standard.
The idea behind Qi2 is to improve upon what wireless charging already offers in a bunch of different ways.
Upgrades like faster speeds, better power efficiency and improved safety.
All so that the wireless charging experience is better for everyone involved.
While Qi2 was first revealed by the WPC atCES2023, the standard wasn’t finalized until January 2024.
What are the benefits of Qi2?
That instant positioning also ensures that your phone is able to wirelessly charge more efficiently.
This speed pales in comparison to some wireless charging speeds, some of which can hit speeds of 80W.
Qi2 also offers adaptive charging speeds, which is new for wireless charging, rather than fixed power output.
This allows your phone and charger to communicate, ensuring that no unnecessary power is sent through.
Not only does this boost efficiency, its another feature that helps prevent excess heat build-up.
Again, thats bad for the long-term health of your phone and potentially a safety hazard.
Ive also seen magnetic wallets, and wireless charging batteries that snap to the back of your phone.
Since MagSafe and Qi2 are compatible, it means all those iPhone accessories will work with Qi2 phones.
How is Qi2 different from MagSafe?
Apples involvement in the development of Qi2 means that it bears a striking similarity to Apples MagSafe.
The two are close enough that a casual observer could consider Qi2 as the MagSafe for Android phones.
But its important to remember that they are not identical.
Slap those same phones onto a Qi2 charger, and the most youll get is 15W.
MagSafe also features an NFC chip that can communicate with MagSafe chargers.
This allows the phone to remember chargers, and any setting you may have set up.
MagSafe and Qi2 also have different requirements and certification processes.
So expect officially-licensed MagSafe accessories to be more expensive than Qi2.
So while MagSafe iPhones are compatible with Qi2, the opposite isnt true for Qi2 Android phones.
Which phones actually support Qi2 right now?
There arent many phones that support Qi2 right now, and the overwhelming majority of them are MagSafe iPhones.
Here are all the phone that can charge with Qi2 wireless charging.
But until that happens, this is what you’ve got.
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