Goodbye to Qi; The new Qi2 wireless charging standard is coming in late 2023

The Qi wireless charging standard has been around for supporting smartphones and other devices for 15 years, launching in 2008. Today, as part of CES 2023, the Wireless Power Consortium announced that Qi would be going away, replaced by the new Qi2 standard.

In its press release, Paul Struhsaker, executive director of the Wireless Power Consortium, stated that consumers and retailers were both confused about the current Qi standard. Specifically, some didn’t know the difference between a device that was truly Qi Certified and one that was not but claimed to work with Qi devices. He stated that will change with Qi2, saying, “Qi2 will be the global standard for wireless charging and provide consumers and retailers with that assurance.”

One of the big changes is that Qi2 (which the consortium says is pronounced “‘chee two”) will use tech developed by Apple for its MagSafe wireless charging iPhones and accessories. MagSafe, launched in its current form with the iPhone 12 in 2020, uses magnets placed in a circular pattern around the wireless charging coil. This allows supporting iPhones to snap their back on a wireless charging pad.

In the press release, the WTC says the Magnetic Power Profile on Qi2-supported devices will make sure that phones with the standard will lock in perfectly with wireless charging pads. This should also improve power transfers and efficiency. Furthermore, phones won’t be limited to just connecting to a charger on a flat surface. You can expect the first smartphones and charging pads to go on sale with the Qi2 standard by the end of 2023.