Magnet-compatible wireless charging standard 'Qi2' compliant devices will be released one after another during the holiday season at the end of 2023



On November 15, 2023, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), an industry organization that develops international standards for wireless charging, announced that devices compatible with the next-generation standard 'Qi v2.0 (Qi2: pronounced chee-two)' that supports magnetic attachments. announced that it has completed certification testing and expects its first products to be available by the 2023 holiday season.

Qi v2.0 Standard for Wireless Charging Is Now Ready to Provide Enhanced User Experience | Business Wire

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231115984149/en/

Qi2 wireless charging spec is here, offering speed boosts and magnets | Ars Technica
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/11/qi2s-wireless-charging-brings-magnets-and-slightly-faster-speeds/

In January 2023, WPC announced that Apple's MagSafe will be adopted for Qi2. Additionally, it was reported in September that Qi2 compatible accessories will be released on the market in the second half of 2023.

Apple's MagSafe technology will be adopted for the next generation wireless power transfer standard 'Qi2' - GIGAZINE



WPC, which welcomed Yan Liyu, former Google senior hardware engineer and system technology leader, as a new director in November 2023, said on November 15, ``The first Qi2 certified products will be Apple's iPhone 15 lineup and 'Starting with a number of power transmitters, we expect them to be available in time for the holiday season.'

Qi2 consists of two profiles. The first is 'Magnetic Power Profile (MPP)' based on the MagSafe technology provided by Apple to WPC, and the second is existing wireless that does not support magnets but is compliant with the Qi2 standard. It is 'Extended Power Profile (EPP)' which is charging. MPP's products will have the 'Qi2' logo, and EPP's products will use the existing 'Qi' logo.

By adjusting the coils on devices and chargers to enable faster and more efficient charging, Qi2-compliant chargers and devices can now charge up to 15W from 7.5W. This allows Qi2 devices to charge at the same speed as an iPhone using a MagSafe charger, and also eliminates confusion regarding charging speeds when using Qi, MagSafe, or proprietary chargers. This means that you can expect 15W charging from any manufacturer's Qi2-certified devices and chargers.

'We are pleased to see our members increasingly adopting Qi v2.0 and building an ecosystem of accessories for Qi2 devices,' said Fady Mishriki, Chairman of the WPC Board of Directors. I think it will become the global de facto standard.'



According to WPC, Belkin, Mophie, Anker, and Aircharge have already pre-announced Qi2 products, and more than 100 devices are currently being tested or on the waiting list for certification testing.

The iPhone 15 series was released as ``compatible with future Qi2 standard chargers,'' but compatibility with MagSafe-enabled iPhones prior to the iPhone 15 is unknown. Ars Technica, an IT news site, says, ``Given that these models are made based on MagSafe, and MagSafe is the foundation of Qi2's MPP, although the magnetic rings of MagSafe and Qi2 are not the same, It may be backwards compatible.'

On the other hand, Google's Pixel 8 series is not Qi2 compliant, but it can be charged at up to 12W with a standard Qi-compatible charger, and some can charge at 30W, Ars Technica reports. 'Although we don't have standards support, we are ready for the future,' he said.

In an interview in January 2023, WPC stated that 'Qi 2.1' compatible with fast charging exceeding 15W will be released within 18 months, that is, by mid-2024. Additionally, the cordless kitchen standard ``Ki'' is scheduled to be established in 2025.

in Hardware, Posted by log1l_ks