It sure looks like the next Google Pixel phone will support Qi2 as certification arrives

Ben Schoon | Nov 15 2023 - 9:30 am PT

Qi2 was announced in early 2023 as the next generation of the wireless charging standard that many devices use, but only now are the first Qi2 devices actually coming. Plus, it’s looking like Google is preparing Qi2 for the next Pixel release.

In a press release today, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced that the first Qi2 productions are “completing” certification testing now. This means that Qi2 devices will be hitting the market very soon, acting as the official launch of the standard.

Qi2’s main selling point of the addition of the “Magnetic Power Profile,” the generic name for Apple’s MagSafe. The technology will make its way to more and more devices as the standard is more widely adopted. The magnets will also be the only real difference that consumers see, as the WPC notes that any products that adopt the new Qi v2.0 Extended Power Profile (EPP) but do not adopt magnets will not show the new Qi2 logo.

The Qi v2.0 standard consists of two profiles, the Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) which is based on MagSafe technology contributed by Apple to WPC and branded with the Qi2 logo, and an enhancement to the existing wireless charging Extended Power Profile (EPP) that does not include magnets but complies with the Qi v2.0 standard. New Qi v2.0 EPP products will be branded with the existing Qi logo consumers know and use today

Qi2 will still provide 15W rates for charging, but it should be faster in practice thanks to the use of magnets to perfectly align the coils.

Some of the first Qi2 products will be accessories from brands such as Anker, Belkin, and others. There’s still no word on the first Qi2-certified smartphones, though that will likely be the iPhone 15 series. Android brands have thus far been silent.

However, it’s looking like Google won’t be too slow to adopt Qi2 in the Pixel lineup. As noted by The Verge, Google’s Liyu Yang has joined the WPC as a board member just this month. Yang has been working on wireless charging tech for Pixel phones, including both iterations of the Pixel Stand and the use of Qi on the Pixel 6 Pro. Yang’s LinkedIn profile mentions that he is a “Power Specialist” at Google and has been with the company since 2017, previously working on power systems for Apple.

*It’s obviously just a mockup, but the WPC website teases a future with Qi2 on Pixel.*

While there’s no direct confirmation that Google Pixel 9 will adopt Qi2, the WPC’s post directly references “future Pixel products” for including “next-generation wireless charging.”

Liyu is currently leading the investigation and design of next-generation wireless charging platforms for future Pixel products.

Of course, Google’s potential use of Qi2 in a Pixel 9 would be far from the first device to adopt the tech. Prior to Google’s usual October launches, we’ll see the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, new Galaxy foldables, the OnePlus 12, and a plethora of other smartphone launches where Qi2 is not only possible but highly likely.