Qi2 standard chargers will finally hit the market. They promise faster wireless charging of compatible devices and less wear on their batteries.
The Wireless Power Consortium announces in a press release that “the Qi v2.0 standard will finally be offered in a certain number of devices in the certification phase”. In the WPC’s own words, this standard adopted at the start of the year will “improve the user experience” in terms of magnetic fixing, faster charging ”, and in efficiency, in short, in ease of use.
THE problem with Qi chargers first generation, is that they can be capricious, or even completely ineffective, if we don’t do it well. Indeed, when recharging a connected watch or a compatible smartphone, you must take great care to place the device correctly on the charging pad in order to properly align the elements. Version 2 of the standard avoids this problem by adopting a system borrowed from MagSafe, Apple’s wireless charging. And for good reason, since it is the Cupertino company which made its patent available to the consortium in order to try to standardize this type of socket.
Qi2 chargers will deliver the same wireless charging power to all compatible Android and iPhone smartphones
Furthermore, Qi2 improves the first version by increasing the charging power, or at least making it more reliable and predictable. While in practice, the basics Qi1 rarely provide more than 10 W (while it could theoretically reach 15 W) on Android smartphones, Qi2 chargers are designed to deliver an effective charging power of 15W for all types of devices, including Android and iPhone.
The WPC therefore announces that no less than 100 charger references will flood the market for the end-of-year holidays under well-known brands such as Belkin with the BoostCharge Convertible Qi2 Wireless Pad to Stand, or even Mophie, among other big names in the sector. For the WPC, “this year, the global wireless charging market will exceed one billion devices. The availability of the Qi2 profile will further expand the wireless charging market by opening it to new types of accessories that could not be supported before.”