I’m an unapologetic Android fanboy, dating back to the Nexus One. I’ve tried using iPhones before, if only to get the experience for work, and that lasted about a week before I switched again.
But I’m not too proud to admit that Apple is getting it done and the MagSafe system is great. It’s so good that I bought a MagSafe-compatible case for my Galaxy Z6 Fold so I could use those super handy chargers and stands at my desk and next to my bed.
MagSafe – the phone version, not to be confused with previous Mac laptop chargers of the same name – does have that has been around for four years. And for four years I have been waiting for Android phone manufacturers to copy it or implement a similar system.
Meet Qi2, the updated version of the ubiquitous Qi wireless charging interface, which includes a magnetic mounting system that is MagSafe compatible. It was introduced in January 2023 and it’s now over a year later, but phone makers are in no rush to implement Qi2 on most new Android devices and continue to opt for standard Qi receivers. Even Google, an early adopter of wireless charging, has dropped any Qi2 functionality on its latest Pixel devices.
To date, there is only one Android phone that uses Qi2: the HMD Skyline, a niche model focused on repairability. In fact, the biggest hardware release for Qi2 is… the iPhone 15. Which didn’t exactly need Qi2 certification, because it already rocks MagSafe.
Where the hell are all the Android phones with Qi2 and standard backwards compatibility with MagSafe charging and mounting?
The rumor mill says the upcoming Galaxy S25 series will make use of it, but I haven’t seen anything definitive there yet. The Galaxy Ring is technically Qi2 compliant, but doesn’t use the magnetic standard (even for its own charging pad). Right now, the most likely place a regular consumer will see Qi2 is on a new wireless charger… which is actually just for the iPhone, since it’s basically just a new MagSafe charger.
What’s the problem, phone makers? I know it takes a lot of R&D work to create a new device, but this stuff has been available to you long enough that new models released today should include Qi2 technology. And MagSafe is a proven winner with both consumers and the broader smartphone market as a whole! You can find cheap MagSafe-compatible holders and wireless chargers just about anywhere (many of which forego expensive official approval from Apple).
And that includes high-end accessories for Android phones, many of which come with “MagSafe adapters,” which are essentially just magnetic rings in cases strategically placed above their wireless charging areas. While this works, it can be a bit iffy: you have to position that magnetic circle just right to maintain wireless charging functionality, and it sometimes renders existing wireless chargers (especially vertical “standard” chargers) useless, forcing you to buy new MagSafe compatible chargers. The flimsy requirements associated with putting a magnet in a case also make them less stable than their iPhone equivalents. I tried adding MagSafe rings and cases to my Pixel 5 and Pixel 7, but both phones just wouldn’t charge wirelessly when a ring was on.
At least one manufacturer seems to get the message, although its implementation leaves much to be desired. Oppo’s upcoming Find X8 phone will get MagSafe compatibility, but not out of the box. Oppo advertised its official case with a MagSafe-compatible magnetic ring, which worked with a battery-powered portable wireless charging pad. The video shows the same charger and pad working on the iPhone. Again, this system is Qi2 compatible, but does not use the Qi2 magnetic locking system in the phone itself.
Android Authority suspects that even the Oppo Find X8 won’t use a magnetic mounting system in the phone itself to avoid the wrath of Apple’s patent lawyers. (It’s worth pointing out that companies like Google and Samsung could have built magnetic first-party cases, but have thus far chosen not to.) And while I certainly agree that virtually every company in the world would like to stay off Apple’s litigious radar. I’m not so sure this is the main reason for our lack of Qi2.
Qi2 was implemented with a lot of input from Apple – which is a member of the Wireless Power Consortium, after all – and there have been magnetic mounting and charging systems that predate the 2020 version of MagSafe. The Palm Pre and its Touchstone charger are an example of this from 2009, and Microsoft’s Surface laptops also use a proprietary magnetic charger.
A promotional message from fellow 2023 WPC member Belkin says that “Qi2 will initially be compatible with select iPhone 15, iPhone 14, iPhone 13 and other MagSafe-compatible devices and will be available for Android manufacturers to integrate into their future devices .” That implies that Android manufacturers can use Qi2 magnetic mounting if they want. It’s possible that these WPC relationships will involve a hefty cash exchange towards Apple, just to ensure there’s no friction with patents that may overlap on the MagSafe system.
That’s speculation on my part, to be clear. But between Skyline and Oppo’s shameless promotion of MagSafe-compatible cases, it seems like manufacturers are willing to actually implement MagSafe in all but name. We can only hope that in 2025, Android users will finally get access to these accessories without the need for an add-on case of questionable quality.
