Your Next Android Phone Will Be Better Because of Apple and Magnets - CNET

Among the galore robots, TVs, EVs and this hairsbreadth printer astatine CES was a quiescent announcement astir the next-generation of wireless charging for phones and different rechargeable artillery devices. Qi2 (pronounced "chee two") is the follow-up to Qi wireless charging that's recovered connected phones similar the iPhone 14, Samsung Galaxy S22 and Google Pixel 7.

The adjacent mentation of Qi promises to beryllium much businesslike successful portion owed to magnets that assistance presumption devices successful an perfect alignment connected charging pads. If that sounds acquainted that's due to the fact that Apple's MagSafe charging, which rolled retired with the iPhone 12 successful 2020, is fundamentally that. In information Apple, which is 1 of the implicit 350 companies that marque up the Wireless Power Consortium, helped plan the Magnetic Power Profile that's a portion of Qi2.

While the Magnetic Power Profile isn't precisely the aforesaid arsenic MagSafe, it could pb to Qi2 being adopted connected much devices, including AR oregon VR headsets. It could besides pb to faster charging speeds. Currently, Qi wireless charging caps retired astatine 15W, which besides happens to beryllium the max velocity for Apple's MagSafe charging connected iPhones.

Apple's MagSafe uses Qi wireless charging but the magnets let for a assortment of accessories.

Patrick Holland/CNET

"Qi2's cleanable alignment improves vigor ratio by reducing the vigor nonaccomplishment that tin hap erstwhile the telephone oregon the charger is not aligned," Wireless Power Consortium enforcement manager Paul Struhsaker said successful a property release. "Just arsenic important, Qi2 volition greatly trim the landfill discarded associated with wired charger replacement owed to plugs breaking and the accent placed connected cords from regular connecting and disconnecting."

Another vantage of Qi2 is the imaginable for accessories. Take a look astatine the fig of MagSafe and magnetic accessories presently made for the iPhone. There's everything from cases and charging stands to tripod mounts and wallets. Android phones that enactment Qi2 could payment from a akin scope of accessories. 

Considering that Android phones travel successful each shapes and sizes, Qi2 and its Magnetic Power Profile could beryllium an equalizer that makes immoderate accessories interchangeable betwixt antithetic phones and adjacent antithetic devices. Qi2 offers a level of ubiquity akin to what USB-C connectors provide, without the disorder caused by antithetic USB-C cablegram types that each look the same. It's hard to archer the quality betwixt a USB-C cablegram that supports Thunderbolt 3 and 1 that supports USB 4.

Qi2's Magnetic Power Profile is not the aforesaid arsenic MagSafe, which uses besides magnets but arranged successful a antithetic position. So you couldn't connect a MagSafe charger to a telephone with Qi2. I should admit that immoderate companies marque magnetic cases for Android phones that let them to enactment with MagSafe.

On the whole, Qi2 holds a batch of promise. And portion it's not wide if Apple volition regenerate MagSafe with Qi2's Magnetic Power Profile, it does beryllium that adjacent rival companies tin hold connected a modular that benefits america all. Now bash this for substance messaging.