The Wireless Power Consortium announced Qi2, a new standard for wirelessly charging smartphones and other mobile devices such as wearables, at the CES 2023. Qi2 will be available later this year.
Qi2 wireless charging standard based on MagSafe announced
According to the statement, Apple’s MagSafe technology has been incorporated into the new Qi2 standard. Qi2’s magnetic power profile was created by Apple and other WPC members. The Magnetic Power Profile from Qi2 aligns phones and other battery-powered mobile devices with charging equipment to improve energy efficiency and charging speed.
This is exciting because it could lead to a single standard for wireless charging, which would make Apple’s MagSafe technology compatible with Android phones.
Even though the Qi wireless charging standard has been around for more than a decade, the WPC found that both customers and retailers had trouble understanding it, especially the differences between Qi-certified and non-certified Qi devices.
WPC has said that “Qi2 will be the global standard for wireless charging and give consumers and retailers that assurance.” This comes as the first phase of implementing the new wireless charging standard begins.
According to the announcement, Qi2 will enable faster charging for some devices due to its improved efficiency and interoperability. Also, this would make it possible for wireless charging speeds to increase significantly in the future in a way that is safe, saves energy, and doesn’t hurt the phone or drain the battery.
Availability
When it comes to availability, Qi2-certified phones and chargers should be available by the 2023 holiday season. More information about Qi2 can be found at the Wireless Power Consortium’s CES booth 53529 on Level 2 of the Venetian Expo Center.
Paul Struhsaker, executive director of the Wireless Power Consortium, stated at the announcement:
Qi2’s perfect alignment improves energy efficiency by reducing the energy loss that can happen when the phone or the charger is not aligned. Just as important, Qi2 will greatly reduce the landfill waste associated with wired charger replacement due to plugs breaking and the stress placed on cords from daily connecting and disconnecting
Consumers and retailers have been telling us they’re confused concerning what devices are Qi Certified and those that claim to work with Qi but are not Qi Certified. This confusion can lead to a poor user experience and even safety issues.
Our standard assures consumers that their devices are safe, efficient, and interoperable with other brands. Qi2 will be the global standard for wireless charging and provide consumers and retailers with that assurance.
