Earlier this year, during CES 2023, the WPC (Wireless Power Consortium) announced that it had developed a more advanced wireless charging standard: Qi 2.0. It is based on Apple's MagSafe technology and uses a magnetic system to keep the device and its accessories in place. Now, it has been announced that Qi 2.0-based accessories will be ready by the end of this year.
The first set of products and accessories certified for the Qi 2.0 standard will hit the market during the Christmas holiday season. The first accessories will be available for the iPhone 15 series. AirCharge, Anker, Belkin, and Mophie will make wireless chargers for compatible smartphones. Many other Qi 2.0 accessories are currently in testing or in the certification phase.
Qi 2.0 brings magnetic attachment, faster charging, improved power efficiency, and improved convenience compared to Qi 1.2. There are two profiles under the Qi 2.0 standard. The first is MPP (Magnetic Power Profile), which is based on Apple's MagSafe technology and uses the Qi 2 logo. The second is an enhancement to the existing EPP (Extended Power Profile), which does not include magnets but complies with the Qi 2.0 standard, and it supports up to 30W charging.
It is expected that Android smartphone makers will bring phones that are compliant with the Qi 2.0 standard so they can have MagSafe-like accessories. Fady Mishriki, the chair of the WPC’s Board of Directors, said, “We are thrilled to see our members rapidly embracing Qi v2.0 and building ecosystems of accessories for Qi2 devices. We fully expect to see Qi v2.0 quickly become the de facto global standard for wireless charging.”
Author's Note: While Qi 2.0 is now ready for prime time, it is possible that most Chinese smartphone brands may not adopt it since most of them use their proprietary fast wireless charging technologies. For example, OnePlus, OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi all have phones that support proprietary 50W fast wireless charging protocols and proprietary fast wireless chargers.
Samsung and Google, on the other hand, look like the brands that could bring Qi 2.0 compatible smartphones and accessories. Samsung's current-generation smartphones support up to 15W fast wireless charging based on the Qi 1.2 standard, but it is possible that we may see faster wireless charging or magnetic attachment.
