Qi2 Wireless Charging Standard Announced With Magnetic Power Profile Support

At CES 2023, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced a new standard for wireless charging, called Qi2 wireless charging standard today. The standard succeeds the Qi standard and has been jointly developed by Apple and other members of the organization.

The latest Qi 2 (pronounced chee-two) standard allows wireless charging to become faster and more efficient and is developed keeping magnetic support in mind. The standard will be introduced to devices later this year and is aimed at unifying the industry under one global standard.

Qi2-certified mobile phones and chargers are expected to be available late in 2023 during the holiday season.

Qi2 Wireless Charging Standard Explained

At the core of Qi2 is the Magnetic Power Profile, the basis of which was provided by Apple based on its MagSafe technology. The Qi2's magnetic power profile will ensure that phones or other rechargeable battery-powered mobile products are perfectly aligned with charging devices, providing improved energy efficiency and faster charging,

"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," says Paul Struhsaker, executive director of the Wireless Power Consortium. "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."

One Billion Wireless Charging Devices

The WPC said wireless charging is a rapidly expanding market where about one billion devices, transmitters, and receivers, will be sold worldwide in 2023. The standard will open up wireless charging to new accessories that wouldn't be chargeable using current flat surface-to-flat surface devices.

The standard will also "pave the way for significant future increases in wireless charging speeds that are safe, and energy-efficient and won't shorten battery life or damage a user's phone."