The Latest iPhones Get an Upgrade with Qi2 Wireless Charge Capability

To our surprise, the upcoming iOS 17.2 update adds Qi2 wireless charging to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. This is a quiet upgrade, but it’s very substantial, as Qi2 will increase the number of affordable MagSafe-like chargers that are available for these devices.

The Wireless Power Consortium revealed Qi2 in early 2023. This new charging standard is built on top of Apple’s MagSafe system —basically, Qi2 chargers can magnetically attach to smartphones and will support charging speeds up to 15 watts. That’s twice the speed of the original Qi wireless charging standard.

Because Qi2 is an open standard, it will be supported by Android smartphones. And, more importantly, Qi2 chargers won’t suffer from the “Apple tax.” Apple collects a portion of each MagSafe charger sale, but it can’t collect any money from Qi2 charger sales, so Qi2 chargers should cost less money.

Presumably, Apple will find a way to differentiate between MagSafe and Qi2 charging. The best way to create this distinction, at least for now, is to limit Qi2 charging speeds on the iPhone—Apple customers who want 15-watt wireless charging may still require a MagSafe charger. But Apple hasn’t revealed all the details, and the first Qi2 wireless chargers won’t go on sale until the very end of 2023 (or the first weeks of 2024).

Even if Apple places some restrictions on the iPhone’s Qi2 functionality, this is a substantial and welcome upgrade. We were already surprised by the iPhone 15’s inclusion of Qi2. The fact that this new charging standard will also be supported on last-gen iPhones is fantastic.

The Apple iOS 17.2 update is currently in RC (release candidate ) status, meaning that it will go public within a week or two. Note that iOS 17.2 also includes the new Journal app that Apple announced in June 2023.

Again, the Qi2 standard will make its official debut in the last weeks of 2023. Brands like Anker will begin selling the first Qi2 chargers around Christmastime, and we’ll probably see a bunch of Qi2 hardware at CES 2024, which takes place in early January. Flagship Android smartphones announced in 2024 will almost certainly support Qi2, though brands like Samsung or OnePlus may use proprietary technology to exceed the 15-watt charging limit.

Source: Apple via 9to5Mac

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