Latest news with #WPC
Android Authority
24 minutes ago
- Android Authority
Wireless Android charging is getting a big upgrade with Qi2 25W
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR The WPC has now formally branded its new high-speed wireless charging system as Qi2 25W. We just saw some of the first 25W-supporting accessories get their certifications. The WPC says that 'major Android smartphones' will be using the standard, but we're still waiting to hear who will be involved. Wireless charging on Android, for lack of a better word, is messy. Even though Android was early to the wireless charging party, Apple has since swooped in to show everyone how to do things with its effortless MagSafe system. Meanwhile, on the Android side of the fence we're often stuck using add-on MagSafe cases or adapters, and while some manufacturers do offer their own high-speed wireless solutions, those tend to be proprietary and awkward to use in their own right. Surely there's a better approach to be made? Today we get a glimmer of hope along that line, as the Wireless Power Consortium shares word of its latest charging standard: Qi2 25W. Formally this is Qi v2.2.1, but as you can probably tell from the chosen branding, the name of the game here is support for 25W charging. Qi initially only supported an insipid 5W. Qi2 bumped that up to a more workable 15W, but we were promised that even faster performance was coming down the pike. Now Qi2 25W is arriving to make good on just that. Perhaps most critically, the WPC says that 'major Android smartphones' are on board for the standard. The group mentions that certification for compatible hardware has already begun, which we knew about after seeing accessories like the UGREEN MagFlow Magnetic Power Bank begin to promote their Qi 2.2 support. But while we've spotted quite a few chargers picking up their certification, what about the actual phones? That's the tricky bit, and really, we're asking two different questions here: When will we see the release of Android phones that support Qi2 25W charging? And will that hardware natively support magnetic attachment, or will Android users once again find themselves shopping for the right cases just to charge their phones? We might start getting some answers sooner than you'd think, as we already reported that Google's working on new 'Pixelsnap' accessories for the upcoming Pixel 10 series. These would be magnetic and support Qi 2.2, so they might be the perfect platform to introduce Qi2 25W support to an Android audience. That said, don't be shocked if we only get a 15W solution. Whether it's from Google and the Pixel 10 series, or any of our other favorite Android manufacturers, we eagerly look forward to trying out Qi2 25W in action for ourselves. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
GSM Arena
an hour ago
- GSM Arena
Qi2 25W is official, promises hundreds of devices will support it
The Qi v2.2.1 standard now has a fancy marketing name: Qi2 25W. And as that name implies, this is a wireless charging spec that goes up to 25W. It was officially unveiled today by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC). The WPC promises that "major Android smartphones" (whatever that means) are about to "join the Qi2 ecosystem for the first time with this launch", obviously in addition to Apple's iPhones. Fourteen devices, receivers and transmitters, completed Qi2 25W certification testing last week, and full-scale certification testing is now open to "several hundred devices waiting in the queue to be tested". Undoubtedly most of those devices will be accessories like chargers and power banks, but it will still be interesting to see some Android phones supporting the new standard too. Whether they will keep going to magnet-free route or finally switch to built-in magnets like the iPhones remains to be seen. Compared to the previous, 15W spec, Qi2 25W delivers almost 70% more power, and according to WPC market research, faster wireless charging is the number one consumer-requested feature to improve wireless charging satisfaction. Source (PDF)
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
WPC Ushers in Next Generation of Faster Wireless Charging
First Certified 25W Devices Announced WASHINGTON, July 23, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Technological advancements are enabling the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) to launch a new, faster charging version of its Qi standard – Qi v2.2.1 – which will be branded as Qi2 25W. In addition to Apple iPhone, major Android smartphones will join the Qi2 ecosystem for the first time with this launch. Fourteen devices, receivers, and transmitters completed Qi2 25W certification testing in a limited launch last week. Full-scale certification testing is now open to several hundred devices waiting in the queue to be tested. "The momentum building behind the next stage in the evolution of the Qi standard is incredible," said Fady Mishriki, chair of the WPC's Board of Directors. "Consumers will be delighted when they experience Qi2 25W as it delivers nearly 70% more power than the original Qi2. The number of devices in the Qi2 25W certification queue for launch is unprecedented, as is the quality and breadth of our members' product designs." Faster wireless charging is the number one consumer-requested feature to improve wireless charging satisfaction, according to WPC market research. Qi2 was a big step in addressing consumer interest in faster charging when it was launched in November 2023 with 15 watts of charging power. Prior to Qi2, several smartphone manufacturers had developed their own proprietary fast charging protocols. However, devices using these protocols may lack interoperability and consistent charge times. Qi2 25W is the first standard to enable truly high-speed Qi Certified wireless charging. "When we launched Qi2, besides the immediate improvement in charging speed and energy efficiency, we promised that one of the benefits of Qi2's magnetic power protocol was that it would serve as a stepping stone for even faster and more efficient wireless charging in the future," said Paul Struhsaker, Executive Director of the WPC. "Qi2 25W's remarkably fast and efficient wireless charging will encourage increased penetration of wireless charging usage and accelerate the adoption of the new standard." The WPC introduced Qi2 nearly two years ago to certify a wide range of smartphones to provide enhanced speed, user experience, and convenience. Customers love the magnetic attach experience and the large ecosystem of compatible accessories they can use with their smartphones. Within a year of its introduction, there were over 1.5 billion certified Qi2 devices, transmitters and receivers in the market globally. About the Wireless Power Consortium The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) is the prevailing standards organization for wireless power applications worldwide, representing more than 300 member companies. Since its founding in 2008, the WPC has provided consumers and manufacturers with a vision of wireless power that is convenient, safe, and efficient while ensuring standardized testing offers products that are certificated and interoperable. The Qi standard, with its current Qi2 and Qi2 25W versions, is the global standard for wireless charging of mobile, handheld electronic devices. The WPC is continuously developing new standards for wireless power applications including the Ki Cordless Kitchen standard for kitchen appliances. View source version on Contacts Paul +1 972-854-2616 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Engadget
3 hours ago
- Engadget
Qi2 25W wireless charging is coming to iPhones and 'major Android smartphones'
The newest version of the Qi2 wireless standard is coming to iPhones and some Android handsets. It has also received a snappy, new branding of Qi2 25W, denoting the wireless charging speed, which is miles better than the previous name of Qi2.2. The big hook here is right in the name. Qi2 25W provides up to 25 watts of power delivery to compatible products, which is a 66 percent increase over the pre-existing Qi2 platform. Paul Struhsaker, Executive Director of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) says that "Qi2 25W's remarkably fast and efficient wireless charging will encourage increased penetration of wireless charging usage and accelerate the adoption of the new standard." Newer iPhones already use the Qi2 standard, so the company's forthcoming adoption of Qi2 25W isn't that big of surprise, though it is a welcome bit of news. Most Android phones, however, have never been Qi2-certified, so this is a potentially game-changing event for the platform. Some Android phones could technically integrate Qi2 charging, but it typically required a dedicated magnetic case of some kind. Smartphones are just the latest category to adopt Qi2 25W. Several products, including power banks and chargers, were certified earlier this month. Qi2 25W, back when it was called Qi2.2, was first announced in April. The WPC says there are "several hundred" devices in the queue waiting to be tested and receive official certification. We still don't know which Android phones are in that queue.
The Verge
6 hours ago
- The Verge
Faster Qi2 charging is coming to iPhones and ‘major' Android phones
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has announced the official launch of faster Qi2 25W wireless charging, with the first devices already certified and 'several hundred' yet to come. Most excitingly, it promises that alongside iPhone support, several 'major Android smartphones' will finally be adopting the standard. We've known that faster Qi2 charging was coming, up from the prior 15W limit, with accessory brands including Anker, Ugreen, and Baseus securing early certification, and some even announcing power banks and chargers. Until now we'd only known the tech by its version number, Qi2.2, but the WPC has confirmed it will be known at Qi2 25W instead. The WPC has confirmed that iPhones will support Qi2 25W, though not which models. The iPhone 16 series currently offers 15W Qi2 charging speeds but 25W over MagSafe. Since the magnetic Qi2 standard is based in part on Apple's MagSafe designs, it stands to reason that the 16 series might receive an update to the new standard, and presumably the upcoming iPhone 17 models will offer support too. The group also says that 'major Android smartphones will join the Qi2 ecosystem for the first time with this launch,' though again offers no specifics. To date only a single Android phone has fully supported Qi2, the HMD Skyline. A handful of Samsung's flagships, including the recent Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7, are certified 'Qi2 Ready,' which means they support 15W Qi2 charging but don't themselves include the magnetic ring needed for the full speeds, requiring owners to buy a magnetic Qi2 case for full functionality. We've asked the WPC for comment on whether the upcoming Android support will be full Qi2, or only Qi2 Ready. 'The momentum building behind the next stage in the evolution of the Qi standard is incredible,' said Fady Mishriki, chair of the WPC's board of directors. 'Consumers will be delighted when they experience Qi2 25W as it delivers nearly 70% more power than the original Qi2. The number of devices in the Qi2 25W certification queue for launch is unprecedented, as is the quality and breadth of our members' product designs.' Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Dominic Preston Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Android Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Apple Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Gadgets Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Google Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All iPhone Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Mobile Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All News Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
