At the beginning of 2023, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) — the open standards development group responsible for Qi charging — announcedQi2. Based on Apple’s MagSafe technology, the new standard fixed a longstanding issue with wireless charging: having to align the device properly with the charging pad for the power transfer to work. The WPC indicated that the first Qi2-compatible devices would launch later this year. That time has nearly arrived. And while thePixel 8 serieslacks support for the new wireless charging standard, there are signs that Google is working on adding Qi2 support to future Pixel devices.
In apress release, the WPC says that the first Qi mobile devices have completed their certification testing, with over 100 devices currently undergoing testing or certification. The first set of certified Qi2 wireless chargers from the likes of Anker, Belkin, Mophie, and others should hit the market soon. Additionally, the announcement notes that the iPhone 15 lineup is the first smartphone to support the Qi2 standard. This should not be surprising since the standard is based on Apple’s MagSafe tech.
While the Pixel 8 series only supports the Qi charging standard, Google is already working on adding Qi2 support to its next Pixel. As spotted byThe Verge, Liyu Yang, a senior hardware engineer at Google working on Pixel phone wireless charging technology, recently joined the WPC board of members. He’s leading the “design of next-generation wireless charging platforms for future Pixel products.”
The Pixel 9 is nearly a year away from launch, giving Google plenty of time to add support for Qi2 unless it runs into some major issues. Before that, the company will launch the mid-rangePixel 8a, but it is tough to say if it will feature Qi2 support since it will be based on the Pixel 8 and is a budget-centric device.
You won’t have to wait that long to try out Qi2 wireless charging on an Android phone, though. Some of the upcoming Android phones, like theSamsung Galaxy S24 seriesandOnePlus 12, should launch with support for the newest wireless charging standard.
Qi2 won’t bring wireless charging speeds faster than 15W. Instead, the new Magnetic Power Profile is the main highlight of the new standard. Like MagSafe, all Qi2-certified phones and chargers will feature a ring of magnets, allowing devices to snap onto each other. This will enable a stronger connection, leading to a faster and less finicky wireless charging experience where you don’t have to worry about aligning the device on the charging pad.
If you have thePixel 7or Pixel 8, you can get a Qi2-like wireless charging experience by sticking aMagSafe adapterto the back of your phone. There are also MagSafe-compatible cases available for popular Android phones.
