Update 5/25/23: ChargerLab “got a message from the industry” that the iPhone 15 will support the Qi2 standard. The article below was originally posted on 5/24/23.
As it currently stands, if you want to be able to use fast charging with an iPhone, the charger must be MagSafe certified. But according to a leak from yeux1122, chargers won’t have to be MagSafe certified to fast charge the upcoming iPhone 15.
The reason for this is the Wireless Power Consortium’s new Qi2 (pronounced “chee-two”) open standard, which incorporates a new Magnetic Power Profile that is built upon Apple’s MagSafe. Apple is a member of the WPC and had input on Qi2 to ensure that the magnetic connection has the proper alignment for efficient charging.
The WPC announced Qi2 back in January, with the first Qi2 products expected to follow later this year. In other words, the timing fits with the iPhone 15 launch in the fall.
Qi, the predecessor to Qi2, supported 15-watt charging, but Apple limits charging to 7.5 watts unless the charger is MagSafe certified. Many products are labeled as “MagSafe compatible” but that’s not actual certification, so those products are limited to 7.5 watts.
Following the Qi2 announcement earlier this year, we thought this was likely to happen, and yeux1122’s claim is plausible. It’s good news for consumers, since Qi2 is a standard for both the iPhone and Android, which results in a larger selection of fast chargers. But if you’re currently in the market for a MagSafe charger, we have some recommendations.
