When Qi2 was first announced at CES earlier this year it brought a fair amount of promise, notably with the addition of Apple to the Wireless Power Consortium and its inclusion of magnets into the wireless charging standard. On Wednesday, the next step in this transition — which should bring faster magnetic wireless charging to both iPhone and Android phones — got a more solid time frame as the WPC announced that “Qi v2.0” certified devices will “be available in time for the holiday season.”Â
Apple’s recently announced iPhone 15 lineup already has support for Qi2 and Belkin, Mophie, Anker and Aircharge have already announced Qi2 accessories. The WPC says that “over 100 devices are currently in testing or in the certification testing queue.”
With Qi2 (pronounced “chee two”), manufacturers will be able to incorporate magnets into their devices to make it easier for phones to snap onto wireless chargers and other magnetic accessories. While Apple incorporated magnets for its MagSafe accessory line since the iPhone 12’s release in 2020, Android phone users interested in a similar feature have relied on phone cases to use similar accessories. Using magnets should help wireless chargers better line up with devices for faster recharging, especially compared to current Qi chargers that might not charge a device if a phone isn’t lined up exactly as instructed.
“These certified Qi2 chargers provide smoother, faster charging that is more energy efficient, and offers wide interoperability,” said Paul Struhsaker, executive director for the WPC in a press release announcing that the first devices have completed certification testing.Â
There are two main parts of Qi2, the magnetic portion known as the Magnetic Power Profile, which is based on Apple’s MagSafe and utilizes magnets, as well as an “enhancement to the existing wireless charging Extended Power Profile.” The latter portion does not include magnets but still “complies” with the new standard.Â
Only devices with the…
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