Apple has confirmed that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro support the new Qi2 standard for wireless charging. The question, however, is what this actually means for iPhone 15 users. As of right now, this seems like a question no one really has an answer to…
Qi2 is the new wireless charging standard that essentially takes the built-in magnets feature of Apple’s MagSafe technology and opens it to everyone. The Wireless Power Consortium worked closely with Apple to develop the Qi2 standard, which should lead to a larger number of certified magnetic wireless chargers on the market.
In its press releases for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, Apple confirms that the devices do indeed feature support for Qi2, but without any further elaboration. “Both models support MagSafe and future Qi2 chargers for wireless charging,” Apple says.
One of the benefits of Qi2 is that it theoretically unlocks 15W wireless charging for any Qi2-certified accessory. Currently, only MagSafe accessories certified by Apple offer 15W wireless charging to iPhone users.
This is where things get a bit confusing. Apple’s press release directly mentions that the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro will support Qi2 for wireless charging. This should mean that the iPhone 15 can charge at 15W with any certified accessory, not just MagSafe accessories. Apple’s tech specs pages for the iPhone 15, however, say:
- MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W
- Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W
The Verge points out that there currently aren’t any Qi2-certified accessories on the market, which is also why Apple’s press release mentions “future Qi2 chargers.” In an email to The Verge, the Wireless Power Consortium’s marketing director, said:
I can tell you that no Qi2 products have been certified yet. The Qi2 specification has been finalized. We’re awaiting the certification testing equipment to be delivered, tested and verified.
Does this mean that Apple will update its tech specs pages for the iPhone 15 to include 15W wireless charging via Qi2 once certified accessories become available? Or will it continue to limit non-MagSafe accessories to 7.5W?
Belkin’s Cassie Pineda told The Verge, “We have not yet tested the iPhone 15 lineup on this product but we expect it should charge iPhone 15 devices at up to 15W.” This comes after Belkin said last month that its “Qi2 chargers will be able to charge MagSafe iPhones at 15W.”
The lack of confirmation from Apple on that makes me worry, as does Belkin’s admission that it hasn’t actually tested its new Qi2 chargers with iPhone 15.
9to5Mac’s Take
If this all sounds confusing, it’s because it is. And Apple’s lack of detail around what exactly the iPhone 15 will support makes matters worse.
In an ideal world, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro will support Qi2 to its full extent. This would mean that any Qi2-certified wireless charger could charge an iPhone 15 at 15W. These accessories are expected to be cheaper than MagSafe-certified accessories, since there is no Apple approval process and fee involved.
But as anyone whose followed Apple for years should know, there’s a real possibility that Apple will still artificially limit non-MagSafe chargers to 7.5W for wireless chargers. After all, it needs to keep collecting those sweet, sweet MagSafe fees in order to avoid bankruptcy.
Hopefully someone involved in this messy situation can offer more details soon. Because right now, I’m stumped.
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