What is Qi2 wireless charging?

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) is dedicated to developing and promoting new wireless charging standards, including Qi. It introduced Qi2 to the world in January 2023, which seems like a long time ago now.

Manufacturers that expressed support for Qi2 included Anker, Belkin, and Mophie, among others, as well as Apple, which added support for Qi2 in its iPhone 15 lineup. But despite the initial plan to release devices Qi2 compatible devices before Christmas 2023, no other phone manufacturer has launched a Qi2 compatible device.

Before we figure out which phones will support Qi2, we need to explain exactly what Qi2 wireless charging is and how it differs from the first generation Qi.

What is Qi wireless charging?

Qi (pronounced “chee”) is a standard developed by WPC for inductive electrical energy transfer over distances of up to 4 cm (1.6 inches). In other words, wireless charging.

If your phone supports Qi charging, all you need to do is get a Qi charger of a certain description. Simply plug it in and position your compatible phone in the correct location and it will start charging.

There is a common misconception about wireless charging that your phone is not physically connected to a power source. While this is technically correct, it is important to note that the charger itself must be connected to a power supply, whether that be a wall outlet, power bank, or even a laptop. Therefore, it’s only truly wireless when you’re using a charged power bank, but even that will need a wire when it needs to be recharged.

Chris Martin / Foundry

What is the difference between Qi and Qi2?

Qi2 introduces two important changes. First, Qi2 provides double the charging power, reaching up to 15W, compared to the original Qi’s 7.5W.

Although higher powers have been achieved before, such as OnePlus flagship devices supporting up to 50W wireless charging or the Galaxy S23 and iPhones up to iPhone 12 with up to 50W wireless charging. at 15 W, to achieve such speeds, it was generally necessary to purchase exclusive accessories, often marked with the logo. logo of the smartphone manufacturer.

Remember that MagSafe compatible chargers, that is, those produced by companies other than Apple, can only charge iPhones at 7.5W, not 15W.

Qi2 is poised to become the new standard for smartphones and chargers, regardless of manufacturer, and will provide 15W of charging regardless of the specific combination of charger and device used. This means that iPhones will charge at the same speed whether you buy an Apple charger or another brand.

Belkin

It’s only a beginning. In the future, updates to the standard will enable faster charging at higher powers. There’s nothing official though, so we can’t tell you if that’s 50W or even more. Another aspect that’s unclear is whether you’ll need to purchase a new charger or whether a Qi2 charger will support faster speeds in the future. We suspect that when the Qi2.1 standard appears, a new generation of chargers will also appear.

iOttie

Second, Qi2 incorporates features inspired by Apple’s MagSafe technology, including Magnetic Power Profile (MPP). It allows manufacturers to incorporate magnets into their devices (such as Android phones), making them wirelessly charge much easier and more efficient.

As the magnets precisely align the charging coils of the phone and charger, this means less energy is lost as heat, meaning your phone (or whatever device) doesn’t get too hot when of loading. And that, in turn, makes Qi2 significantly better for the long-term health of your smartphone battery.

For iPhone users, however, Qi2 doesn’t really represent a significant change, as these capabilities are already provided by MagSafe accessories. However, this is a big deal for Android devices because using magnets previously required purchasing specific accessories like a case and charger.

Foundry

It is also worth mentioning that all devices that manufacturers intend to integrate with the Qi2 standard must undergo a thorough verification and certification process. One of the requirements of WPC – once the process is successful and the standard is adopted – is that the Qi2 logo be placed on the device. This will therefore reduce the likelihood of devices misrepresenting themselves as Qi2 compatible, as the WPC will be eager to remove uncertified devices from sale.

Which phones support Qi2?

At the time of writing, the only Qi2-certified devices are the iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15 series. All models in each series are compatible, provided they have been updated to iOS 17.2.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The WPC has nearly 400 members, including most smartphone brands, so it’s probably no surprise that a number of flagship Android phones launching in 2024 will feature Qi2 support.

Among these, we expect the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S24 of the Google Pixel 9 series to be equipped with Qi2. But at this stage we do not have any official information.

Which wireless chargers support Qi2?

Despite announcements from companies like Anker, Belkin, and Mophie at IFA 2023 regarding Qi2-compatible hardware, certified wireless chargers for purchase are not yet available.

We expect this situation to change in early 2024, as many chargers will be announced at CES from various brands, including those already mentioned, as well as ESR, Nomad and iOttie. There will be a range of chargers including desktop stands, stands and car mounts.