Apple quietly added Qi2 charging to the iPhone 12

Qi2 (properly Qi v2.0 MPP, for Magnetic Power Profile) is a new magnetic wireless charging standard that can charge compatible devices at up to 15W. Like Apple’s MagSafe, it uses rings of magnets in both device and charger to ensure proper alignment of the charging coils, and it’s based on the Qi wireless charging standard that’s used by nearly every device that offers wireless charging. In fact, Apple contributed the magnetic power profile technology to the new standard.

Unlike MagSafe, Qi2 isn’t proprietary. It’s administered by the Wireless Power Consortium, and although devices need to be Qi2-certified, they don’t require special Apple hardware or MFi certification, which means they’re less expensive to produce. As of iOS 17.2, the iPhone 13, 14, and 15 are Qi2-certified and can charge just as fast from a Qi2 charger as they can from a MagSafe-certified charger; on all other wireless chargers, iPhones are limited to 7.5W maximum.

Because Qi2 is an open standard, it can be integrated into Android phones and other devices, though it hasn’t been yet. And due to backward compatibility quirks, Android phones that can hit 10W or more on a standard Qi charger (or a “MagSafe-compatible” Qi charger with magnets) are limited to just 5W on Qi2. In the near future, households with Android and iPhones should be able to share the same magnetic chargers and accessories and get the same charge rates. For now, though, Qi2 is best suited for iPhones.