It’s ironic, but we here in Wired, we have long been wireless load fans. Not having to grope with cables is nice! Nowadays, most wireless load devices follow the Qi (pronounced soilier) Standard, which has taken its time to reach ubiquity. (The user experience has not always been great.) The Wireless Power Consortium, which manages the load protocol, announced the new generation version called Qi2 at the beginning of 2023. The Qi2 wireless load promises a perfect alignment, with the accessories potential to fill the Android and iPhone division and iPhone division .
Unfortunately, Qi2 has not been deployed as quickly or widely expected. While each iPhone (from series 12) supports Qi2 now, there was only one Qi2 certified Android phone released in 2024, HMD Horizon lineAnd we were dismayed to note that this did not work with older IQ chargers. Hopes that 2025 could be another story took a hit early with the news that Samsung’s Galaxy S25 is only Qi2 ready. So what’s going on with Qi2?
Updated in February 2025: we added more details on the adoption of Qi2 and an explanation of new cases and phones ready by Qi2 like Samsung’s Galaxy S25.
What is Qi2?
Photography: Simon Hill
Qi2 is an open wireless load standard of the Wireless power consortium (WPC), and it brings important upgrades to the original Qi standard. The title is the Magnetic power profile (MPP)which is based on Apple Magsafe technology. (Apple was involved in the development of the Qi2 standard.) This allows Qi2 brand devices to add a ring of magnets to ensure perfect alignment with the chargers and allow faster load speeds.
There is another standard: the non -magnetic wireless load Extended supply profile (EPP). According to Paul Golden of WPC, EPP refers to a device that complies with the specification, but is not officially Qi2 and therefore cannot use the logo or be called a Qi2 device. Golden told Wired in an email that such devices “would transport the Qi logo, not Qi2, and packaging and / or marketing media have a required statement that the device does not contain magnets . Any device labeled Qi2 is MPP and must include magnets. »»
To blur the waters further, we now have the “Qi2 ready” Samsung Galaxy S25 series. Outside the box, the Galaxy S25, S25 + and S25 Ultra support the Qi wireless load standard, and they have no magnets. But you can add magnets by buying yours Cases ready by qi2 (Available from Samsung and third parties). Combine a certified Qi2 loan CHE2 Loan case with a Qi2 ready phone and you have effectively a Qi2 phone (with the same charging speed and improved efficiency) that you can use with Qi2 power banks and the chargers.
This frustrating and somewhat confusing judgment is probably due to the long cycle of phones development and the difficulty of designing magnets. Looking at the right side, since Qi2 ready is cheaper and easier, it can be a viable path to bring Qi2 to cheaper phones.
