That whole MagSafe thing might finally be coming to Android phones, and it’ll do it with a little more speed, too, as Qi2 25W becomes a thing.
Wireless charging isn’t exactly a new thing, but the magnetic breed of wireless charging gracing phones very much is.
Qi wireless charging has been around seemingly forever, first popping up back in 2010 on high-end phones, before making its way to less expensive phones over the past 15 years. You can even find wireless charging in the mid-range if you look.
Magnetic wireless charging is a little different, at least in availability. The technology wraps a magnetic ring around the space where the wireless charger goes, using the magnet as a way to hold the phone’s position to maintain the charging strength.
In terms of availability, the iPhone range has offered magnetic charging going back 4 to 5 years — since the iPhone 12 — while Android phones have largely missed out. Magnetic charging was supposed to come to Android by way of Qi2, the evolution of the Qi wireless, but even Qi2’s arrival has felt seemingly delayed.
Qi2 was made official back in 2023, and in that space of time, only one Android has arrived supporting the technology: the HMD Skyline. That’s it.
The charging technology is in plenty of wireless chargers, including the Journey Glyde and Belkin BoostCharge Pro, but phones are more difficult to find. We keep asking manufacturers, and with every launch, we find we’re no closer to seeing Android phones supporting a MagSafe-like wireless technology.
Fortunately, there’s news on the horizon, as Qi2 announces its second-gen technology, coming in the form of Qi2 25W.
The official name is Qi v2.2.1, but the Wireless Power Consortium has decided “Qi2 25W” is a little easier to say. Frankly, most people will probably just stick to calling it Qi2, because that’s what it is: the second generation of wireless charging, with a magnet and more wattage to work with, 25 watts specifically.
By comparison, Qi2 25W sees an increase on the 15 watts in Qi2, essentially boasting more speed for wireless charging. Wired charging is still much more capable, but wireless being boosted to 25W should mean faster recharges for supported phones, wherever they are.
The good news, however, is that the Wireless Power Consortium says “major Android smartphones” supporting Qi2 are coming, with 14 on the way. Those 14 completed certification testing recently in a limited launch, and the organisation says “several hundred devices” are now waiting to be tested.
What those are remains to be seen, but with Google launching a new Pixel in the coming weeks, we have to hope these are included. Apple’s iPhones likely will, too, but Qi2 and MagSafe have both been part of the iPhone spec, so that’s largely a given. Android MagSafe is next on the cards, with more devices than just something from HMD.
