Qi2 became readily available for Android phones last year, but smartphones are often designed more than a year in advance of their release — that’s partly why we’ve only seen a few Qi2-equipped phones debut, like the HMD Skyline. 2025 was supposed to be the year where Qi2 took off, and it will be. But it’s only because the Wireless Power Consortium bent the rules.
Qi is a ubiquitous wireless charging standard maintained by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), but it’s aging. The standard only requires a minimum 5W charging speed, and doesn’t utilize magnets or other fancy features. That’s why the WPC designed Qi2 in coordination with big tech companies, like Apple, which effectively gave MagSafe to the standard.
Qi2 has the Magnetic Power Profile, a magnetic connection method designed for precise alignment with chargers and universal compatibility with MagSafe/Qi2 accessories — or at least, it did.
We first spotted references to a version of Qi2 that did not require magnets back in August 2024. After reporting on it, a spokesperson for the WPC swiftly corrected us, explaining that while the Qi v2.0 specification does allow for Extended Power Profile (EPP) devices without magnets to comply, these devices and accessories “cannot call itself Qi2 or use the Qi2 logo.”
“Any packaging or marketing materials for such a device would have required language informing the consumer that this device does not include magnets,” the WPC continued.
The WPC made similar statements in a more recent round of reporting around Qi2’s magnet situation in December 2024, when the official X (formerly Twitter) account confirmed that all Qi2 devices must have magnets.
Hi Chris! A phone carrying the Qi2 logo is using the Qi v2.0 specification and Magnetic Power Profile or MPP. So, yes, if it says Qi2 it must have magnets.
However, are two different power profiles that carry a Qi logo. (1) Basic Power Profile (BPP) devices that charge at 5W,…December 20, 2024
Here’s where things get confusing: the WPC has now completely tossed aside this premise. In January 2025, the WPC announced a new branding, called “Qi2 Ready.” Essentially, it allows phones to use Qi2 tech without adding magnets — which renders every statement the WPC has made prior to this announcement irrelevant.
Phones branded as Qi2 Ready support Qi2 tech on the inside, such as 15W wireless charging, and leverage accessories to add magnetic connection. The WPC says these Qi2 Ready devices and accessories will deliver the full Qi2 user experience “in approved combinations.”
The Samsung Galaxy S25 series appears to be the first smartphones to utilize this Qi2 Ready standard, because it doesn’t have magnets. But that isn’t actually clear. I’ve yet to see a single spec sheet, product page, or WPC listing for the Galaxy S25 that references Qi2 Ready. In fact, the official Galaxy S25 Ultra entry in the WPC database lists the device as Qi2.1 certified — it doesn’t mention Qi2 Ready or the lack of magnets at all.
Android Central reached out to Samsung about the uncertainty surrounding the Galaxy S25’s Qi2 support, and the company returned the following statement via email: “The Galaxy S25 does support Qi2 wireless charging up to 15W — a case can be leveraged to take advantage of this capability.”
Again, based on the WPC’s original definition of Qi2, that shouldn’t be possible. The newer “Qi2 Ready” workaround isn’t mentioned at all, further complicating things. If that wasn’t confusing enough, the WPC listed a Qi2.1 certification for a Samsung magnetic case that would round out Qi2 support on the Galaxy S25 — presumably one of the “approved combinations” it described — before subsequently removing it.
Android Central also reached out to the WPC for clarification on the Qi2 specification, and asked about the confusion that the new standards could cause for consumers. We didn’t hear back in time for publication, but will update this article when we do.
The saga surrounding Qi2 on Android is tough to follow, and that’s the problem. Apple giving MagSafe to the Qi2 standard was supposed to create a unified ecosystem of chargers and accessories between iOS and Android phones. It was a rare gift from a company that likes to create so-called “walled gardens” and exclusive features for its users. Android OEMs and the WPC have squandered it.
We’re now in a position where all iPhones are Qi2 certified with magnets, some Android phones are Qi2 certified with magnets, some Android phones are Qi2 certified without magnets, and most Android phones aren’t Qi2 certified at all. Without sounding too dramatic, it’s a borderline disaster.
Qi2 and the WPC are following the bad precedent set by USB and the USB Implementers Forum — there have been enough renamings and discrepancies that there are multiple Qi2 versions, and no one knows what any of them really mean.
Considering the lofty goals of the WPC, this outcome is extremely disappointing to see. “The Qi v2.0 standard will unify the wireless charging industry under one global standard, eliminating consumer confusion and enabling greater device interoperability,” the WPC’s website still states.
Over a year after Qi2 was made available, wireless charging is more disjointed than ever.