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The global wireless charging standard, Qi, is getting a big upgrade this year in the form of Qi2 (pronounced ‘Chee Two'). At CES 2023, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) just unveiled the next generation global wireless charging standard which is based on Apple's MagSafe technology. Qi2 is built around a new Magnetic Power Profile that's designed to offer more efficient and quicker wireless charging. Qi2 certified phones and chargers are expected to arrive in the holiday season of 2023.
Apple's MagSafe charging technology is pretty cool, but it's also limited to its own ecosystem of products and so far, it has received a lukewarm reception at best. With this technology now part of a more open and global standard, we should expect to see plenty more devices support magnetic wireless charging, from Android smartphones to TWS earphones, in 2023. More importantly, Qi2 chargers should also be more affordable compared to Apple's MagSafe products.
The California tech giant is just one of the companies that is part of the WPC, but its MagSafe technology that formed the basis of the new Qi2 standard, according to a statement from WPC. Qi2 is said to replace the Qi standard and should open up new ways of charging thanks to the magnetic profile, which was not possible before. This means all devices and accessories that are Qi2 certified will be able to magnetically attach to one another, similar to Apple's MagSafe devices and accessories.
WPC also states that because of the improved efficiency and interoperability of Qi2, we can expect faster wireless charging on certain devices, while keeping safety and product longevity in mind.
While a Qi2 compliant smartphone should be able to dock with any Qi2 wireless charger, we could expect different power profiles for different devices. Apple will most likely still keep certain power profiles or technologies exclusive for its products, but overall, the Qi2 standard should pave the way for a wider and cheaper range of devices and accessories.
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Roydon Cerejo writes about smartphones and laptops for Gadgets 360, out of Mumbai. He is the Deputy Editor (Reviews) at Gadgets 360. He has frequently written about the smartphone and PC industry and also has an interest in photography. With over a decade of experience covering the consumer technology space, he is also an avid sci-fi movie and TV show geek and is always up for good horror flick. Roydon is available at [email protected], so please send in your leads and tips. More
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