Android phone makers dropped the ball on the Qi2 in 2024

Android phones were the first to feature a set of prominent standards. They were the first to support 4G, 5G, USB C (Way back in 2015 no less) and In-display fingerprint sensors. And when it comes to wireless charging, you can trace that lineage all the way back to Samsung Galaxy S3 From 2012 (although webOS Palm wild And for her Touchstone charger is the real OG). Unfortunately, when it comes to adding support for the Qi2 wireless charging standard to devices in 2024, it seems like Android phone makers were stuck with old patch notes.

The standard was Qi2 Officially announced In early 2023 during CES. We even introduced it prizeThe specs were looking to offer 15W wireless charging (and perhaps more in future revisions), improve safety and most importantly introduce magnetic power profiles that make it easy to align and attach compatible charging pads. Essentially, the Qi2 is designed to bring the simplicity and ease of use that iPhone owners enjoy with MagSafe products to the Android ecosystem.

Even more surprising is that, in a rare move for a company that likes to keep its technology neatly isolated within the walls of its ecosystem, Apple has shared key parts of MagSafe’s specifications with other members of the group. Wireless Energy Consortium (the governing body that oversees the Qi and Qi2 standards) to accelerate development and interoperability. So you might think that after seeing the convenience and popularity of MagSafe accessories among iPhone users, Android phone makers would be quick to add Qi2 to as many devices as possible. But almost two full years after the specifications were finalized, the grand total of Qi2-enabled Android devices is now one: HMD Skyline.

At this point, you might be saying that product development cycles are multi-year processes that are difficult to change before launch. In most cases, you’re probably right. But let’s be honest, it’s not as if Samsung, Google, Lenovo and others didn’t see this coming. As is the case with Apple, so are almost all major Android phone manufacturers WPC membersso they could have known about the development of Qi2 long before it was officially announced. Moreover, it was the first iPhone with MagSafe iPhone 12which was released four years ago. So, even if we assume that the first time the idea of ​​a magnetic wireless charging system was presented to Samsung, Google, and others was during Apple’s fall 2020 keynote, you’d imagine that’s still more than enough time to design technology similar to what’s used on the Galaxy and Pixel phones. current.

For manufacturers, another concern when adopting a new standard is that there may not be enough accessories and other compatible peripherals on sale to make implementing the new technology worthwhile. We’ve seen this in the past with modular phones like LG G5 and Moto Z Force Calligraphy and unconventional palm reading technique on LG G8. However, because the Qi2 and MagSafe tools are Largely interchangeablethere is already a huge market of options such as Anker MagGo line Of power banks, which are currently my favorite portable battery packs.

Another annoyance is that some phones like Razr Plus and Pixel 9 Pro Fold I will even Stick magnetically For some Qi2 accessories and may suck a little juice. Unfortunately, this is just a coincidence caused by the magnets used to help keep foldable devices open or closed, and not an intended use case. This means that although these devices may appear to support Qi2 at first glance, the accessories do not maintain a strong grip and often slip even in ideal conditions. Even cases that claim to add support for Qi2 are hit or miss, resulting in a poor experience for Android phone owners hoping to recreate the MagSafe magic themselves. It’s a shame, really, because it seems as if with a few small tweaks, Google, Moto, and others could open up Qi2 support to a wider range of devices without much effort or extra cost.

Unfortunately, while many Chinese phone makers have avoided Qi2 up to this point, this is somewhat to be expected with manufacturers like Oppo often preferring proprietary technology like its own. 65W wireless AirVOOC technology charging rather than more widely accessible industry standards. Because the Galaxy S24 family debuted at the beginning of 2024, Samsung didn’t have as much time to add the Qi2 to its existing flagship lineup as Google, which launched the Pixel 9 series just a few months ago. Regardless, this still doesn’t explain OEMs’ general reluctance to adopt what I believe is one of the most significant upgrades in accessibility and general usability you can add to a smartphone today.

But the most disappointing thing is that six months ago, our friends were in… CNET I thought why we had No Android Qi2 phones were seen. As we approach the end of the year, there is still only one model trying to spark hope that 2025 will be different. So, kudos to HMD for doing what Samsung, Google et al have done. You can’t be bothered to know that. Now I’m worried that if things don’t change next year, one of the promising benchmarks may end up in the graveyard (at least for Android phones) before it has a chance to flourish.