The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) is currently working on a follow-up to the Qi wireless charging standard, and Apple is helping by releasing its MagSafe technology.
It is known that Apple does not always play well with others, as it seems to prefer to have total control over its environment and not share it, much to the worry of others. But now the tech giant is eager to let WPC use MagSafe as the basis of Qi2, as it is called, in order to create a “global standard” for wireless charging.
As advertised (opens in a new tab), the organization hopes to clear up any confusion “about what devices are Qi-certified and which devices claim to work with Qi but are not Qi-certified.” The WPC goes on to say that “this confusion can lead to poor user experience and even security issues.”
Guessing based on knowledge
Qi2’s full ability is unknown at this time. The standard is still a long way off as smartphones and chargers that support it will not be launched until the 2023 holiday season.
However, WPC reveals that at the heart of the Qi2 is a magnetic power profile that allegedly “ensures that phones or other battery-powered mobile products are perfectly matched to the charging devices.” As a result, users will experience higher energy efficiency and faster charging. There’s also hope that wireless charging could expand to devices like smartwatches that don’t work on typical flat surface chargers.
Despite the lack of information currently available, we can still make some reasonable guesses. Given that the Qi2 uses MagSafe technology, it’s possible that upcoming chargers will use magnets to snap onto smartphones, offer charging speeds of up to 15 watts, and feature foreign object detection. The latter is especially important as it allows MagSafe chargers to detect if a metal object has been placed on the pad and automatically shut down. If not, the metal heats up to a dangerous degree.
Other reports state that “every Qi2 transmitter will require authentication”, meaning that future phones will only be able to charge according to the standard. We contacted WPC to clarify device authentication, how the magnetic power profile works, and other features of the standard. This story will be updated if we get a response.
Be sure to check out the TechRadar list best wireless chargers for 2023. Every one we mention complies with the current Qi standard, plus you’ll find chargers that work with smaller devices like smartwatches.