Your IPhone Will Receive a Surprise Wireless Charging Update

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Apple’s upcoming iPhone update, iOS 17.2 , is almost here. On Tuesday, the company sent a “release candidate” (RC) to testers, meaning it is preparing to push the update to all compatible iPhones. But one new change in Apple’s release notes has caught the tech world’s attention: many iPhones will now support Qi2 wireless charging .

What is Qi2 charging?

Much of the hype around the new Qi2 standard is due to its magnets . The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) designed Qi2 to magnetically attach to Qi2-compatible devices, similar to how Apple’s MagSafe chargers work. When you buy a Qi2 charger with a Qi2 smartphone, it magnetically attaches to the back of the device thanks to a new feature called Magnetic Power Profile (MPP). This ensures stable charging and allows you to use your phone without worrying about the charger falling off.

Qi2 will initially be limited to the same 15W standard as MagSafe, but WPC ensures that future versions of Qi2 will be more powerful. Hopefully this means we’ll see the convenience of magnetic wireless charging match the speed of wired fast charging.

Another benefit is that all Qi2-compatible devices will be able to use magnetic charging. Although MagSafe charges all Qi-compatible devices, it only attaches magnetically to MagSafe-compatible devices (such as Apple devices). With Qi2, Android and Apple devices will be able to snap into place.

What’s there for iPhone?

If you’re all-in on MagSafe, Qi2 may not seem that important to you. After all, the MagSafe charger already plugs into your iPhone, so the Qi2 looks pretty much the same.

However, this is great news for the future of wireless charging accessories, especially for the iPhone. Currently , non-MagSafe Qi chargers are limited to 7.5W , which means slow charging speeds. Of course, MagSafe can double that amount, but if you’re looking for a cheap wireless charger to keep your iPhone charged, you’ll have to wait. Qi2 will keep output power at 15W, so you can expect the same speeds as MagSafe, even from third-party Qi2 chargers.

In addition, companies will be able to produce third-party wireless chargers that work like MagSafe without the Apple tax being applied to them. Right now the MagSafe charger has a suggested retail price of $39 , but imagine a 15W Qi2 charger that costs closer to other Qi chargers on the market, maybe around $15 or $20 (and they probably come with power adapter, unlike Apple MagSafe).

Wireless chargers worth paying attention to:

Which iPhones are compatible?

Starting with iOS 17.2, which is currently in beta but will be released soon, the following iPhones will be Qi2 compatible:

  • iPhone 15

  • iPhone 15 plus

  • iPhone 15 pro

  • iPhone 15 pro max

  • iPhone 14

  • iPhone 14 plus

  • iPhone 14 pro

  • iPhone 14 pro max

  • iPhone 13

  • iPhone 13 mini (max 12W)

  • iPhone 13 pro

  • iPhone 13 pro max

When can I use Qi2 charging?

Unfortunately, charger manufacturers have not released any Qi2 chargers yet. It’s entirely possible that when you upgrade to your iPhone 13 or later, your phone will support a wireless charging standard that doesn’t even exist. However, these devices are coming soon, so keep an eye on the market if you are interested in purchasing them.

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