Qi2 25 W wireless charging goes official with Pixel 10 series seemingly on supported list

Wireless charging tech on phones has received an upgrade with the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announcing the next-gen Qi2 standard. This new version is dubbed Qi v2.2.1, and it can offer up to 25 W fast charging. To compare, the predecessor maxed out at 15 W of power, so it's a noticeable bump.

In a formal press release, WPC shared some insight from their market research. According to the findings, faster wireless charging is the "most popular feature requested by consumers," and with the newer version of the Qi2 wireless charging protocol, it seems that this request has been addressed.

As for compatibility, WPC noted that "major Android smartphones" will support this faster wireless charging tech, but the announcement didn't specify any phones. Now, given that Google was helping the company to boost Qi2 charging speeds, the upcoming Pixel 10 series is expected to be among the first to support the new 25 W wireless charging standard.

It's also worth noting that past reports have hinted that Google is working on an upgraded wireless charging accessory called "Pixelsnap." This accessory will reportedly offer a magnetic charging upgrade to the Pixel 10 phones. However, it's unclear whether Google's next-gen flagship smartphones will feature built-in magnets.

Speaking of phones with built-in magnets, the new Qi2 25 W standard is also coming to the Apple iPhone, though the latest models already have support for 25 W fast wireless charging through MagSafe with a 30 W power adapter (30 W Ugreen Nexode GaN charger curr. $12.99 on Amazon). WPC also notes that support for Qi 2.2.1 spec is required to get the bumped charging speed, and it's yet to be seen whether the iPhone 16 series has support for it.