Introduction
With the rapid advancement of wireless fast charging technology, more and more mobile phones now support wireless fast charging – driving rapid growth of the market for wireless fast chargers. Recognizing this reality, WPC Alliance upgraded from their original Qi charging standard to Qi2 in December 2023 to integrate Apple MagSafe and MPP technology.
Qi2 enhances alignment accuracy and efficiency, improving wireless charging innovation while challenging MagSafe’s dominance. As Qi2 becomes more and more popular, it will open new avenues while driving technological innovation as well as application expansion.
What is the Difference between Qi2 and MagSafe?
Qi2 is an upgraded version of the Qi wireless charging protocol, standardized by the Wireless Charging Alliance. It adds the MPP protocol, magnetic alignment method, and adopts a 360kHz operating frequency to improve the ability to detect foreign objects. Qi2 uses magnetic technology, MPP and EPP modes to achieve fast and stable charging. iPhone 15/ 16 series fully support it, and users of older generations (13/ 14 series) who upgrade their iphones to iOS 17.2 may use it.
Qi2 offers up to 15W wireless charging for iPhone, significantly speeding up its charging speed and improving convenience for charging experiences. In the future, Android smartphones may also take advantage of this device for easier and faster charging experiences.
Qi2 provides up to 15W wireless charging for the iPhone,significantly improving charging speed. It will also be widely used in Android phones in the future, bringing a more convenient charging experience.
MagSafe is a magnetic charging technology developed exclusively by Apple. It uses magnets to ensure that the charger is precisely aligned with the device, providing and supporting up to 15W wireless charging power. It is also compatible with the Qi wireless charging protocol and is suitable for all Apple devices, but only within the Apple ecosystem. Third-party accessory manufacturers must obtain authorization from Apple to use MagSafe technology, which to a certain extent limits its market popularity and application.
Qi, Qi2 and MagSafe are all important representatives of wireless charging technology, and they have played an important role in promoting the development and popularization of wireless charging technology
With the same functions, why do people prefer QI2?
From the perspective of compatibility
The Qi2 protocol supports the iPhone 15 series, and the 13/14 series can also be used after upgrading to iOS 17.2. It is also compatible with other Qi2-certified devices (although other brands of mobile phones are not yet supported). In contrast, MagSafe is limited to Apple products and has limited choices. This limitation has affected the user’s range of choices to a certain extent. With the popularization and development of Qi2, it will bring more choices and convenience to users.
From a performance perspective
The Qi2 wireless charging protocol combines the MPP and EPP modes with magnetic suction technology. The iPhone charging transmission power is close to 15W, which is on par with MagSafe. Not only that, Qi2 also has the potential to further increase the transmission power, which indicates higher charging efficiency in the future. Qiaowei’s latest JP336 power bank adopts the Qi2 protocol, bringing a stable and efficient wireless charging experience to the iPhone 13-15 series. Qi2 also has an overheating protection mechanism, which intelligently adjusts the power to prevent overheating and protects the iPhone safely.
From the perspective of cost performance
Apple products are always priced high due to the brand effect. Of course, there is no doubt that the price of MagSafe is higher than that of Qi2 wireless chargers. Apple MagSafe is priced at about $30. This price is quite high compared to Qi2 certified chargers, which cost as low as $10.
From the perspective of supply chain channels
Compared with MagSafe wireless chargers, Qi2 has shown significant market advantages. Due to MagSafe’s unique technology and Apple’s brand premium, the wholesale price remains high, and the production needs to be authorized and certified by Apple, which further increases the cost.
On the contrary, Qi2, as an open standard of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), not only enjoys wide device compatibility and an open ecosystem, but also attracts the participation of many manufacturers, resulting in fierce market competition and effectively reducing wholesale prices.
Compared with MagSafe wireless chargers, Qi2 has shown significant market advantages. Due to MagSafe’s unique technology and Apple’s brand premium, the MagSafe chargers’ wholesale prices remain high, and the production needs to be authorized and certified by Apple, which further increases the cost.
On the contrary, Qi2, as an open standard of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), not only enjoys wide device compatibility and an open ecosystem, but also attracts the participation of many manufacturers, resulting in fierce market competition and effectively reducing wholesale prices.
Conclusion
Compared with MagSafe, I think Qi2 is more cost-effective, with affordable price, wide compatibility, efficient charging, strong security and stability, and unlimited potential. If the two products have the same functions, would you choose Qi2 with higher cost-effectiveness?
