Anker’s folding Qi2 charger and other power banks are up to 30 percent off

The list of Qi2 smartphones expanded ever so slightly this week, with the iPhone 12 joining the ranks of Qi2-certified phones thanks to a recent update. That means we can safely say that all MagSafe-compatible iPhones — including the iPhone 13, 14, and 15 — are officially Qi2-ready. The timing couldn’t be better, either, as Anker is currently offering 20 percent off its 6,600mAh MagGo Power Bank, bringing your total down to $55.99 (about $14 off) at Amazon and Anker’s online storefront (the latter with code WSCPEW1AZM).

We’ve long been fans of Anker’s MagSafe-compatible power banks, but previous models could only charge newer iPhones at the slower 7.5W speed. Anker says the 15W charging coils in the Qi2 version can take an iPhone 15 Pro from empty to 50 percent in just 45 minutes. It’ll also supply faster speeds on the iPhone 12 Mini and iPhone 13 Mini, but those are limited to 12W.

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Apple quietly added Qi2 charging to the iPhone 12

Apple never mentioned it, but the iPhone 12 received Qi2 wireless charging support when it got updated to iOS 17.4 last month. That means you can make full use of the Qi2-certified chargers that have entered the market, which have adopted the magnetic attachment and 15W speeds of Apple’s MagSafe tech.

Macworld originally reported the update late last week. It published findings from its own tests alongside confirmation from Belkin that its Qi2 chargers supported 15W charging on updated iPhone 12 devices. Anker has since confirmed to The Verge similar compatibility for its products, while Apple has yet to respond to a request for comment.

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Anker’s speedy Qi2 MagSafe chargers have dropped to new all-time low prices

No matter which charger you buy, all three deliver 15 watts of power to the iPhone 13, 14, and 15, which is twice as fast as its Qi-based predecessors. However, the 6,600mAh MagGo Power Bank comes with a foldable kickstand that’s even sturdier than its excellent predecessor. Unfortunately, it’s heavier, so you can’t slap it onto your phone while on the go, but it’s still light enough that you can use it as a portable charging stand.

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ESR Qi2 wireless car charger review: goodbye Mag$afe

It’s not often that a truly useful new technology is released that both increases performance and undercuts the cost of the tech it replaces. But that’s exactly what the new Qi2 magnetic wireless charging standard has done for iPhone owners — and soon, Android — now that the first products have arrived. 

For the past two weeks, I’ve been testing a new Qi2 charging mount for cars that matches the performance of Apple’s MagSafe-certified chargers and costs less. Hell, it’ll also work with Android devices once they start shipping with Qi2 support.

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Nomad’s first Qi2 charger is shipping now for $10 less than its MagSafe model

Nomad’s Stand is the latest Qi2 charger to hit the market, offering up to 15W of wireless charging speed to Qi2-compatible phones like the iPhone 15. The accessory was announced in late December, but it’s now shipping in a choice of black or white for $100 from Nomad’s website.

It’s $100 price point makes the Stand $10 cheaper than Nomad’s equivalent MagSafe model, the Stand One, and offers the same “up to 15W” charging speeds and magnetic attachment compatibility as Apple’s MagSafe (Apple helped develop the Qi2 charging standard). The bad news is that Nomad’s $100 asking price doesn’t include the required 20W power adapter — you just get a USB-C to USB-C cable. 

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Satechi’s new Qi2 charging stands are stylish and storable

Our universal, wireless, magnetic, and fast-charging future is here as the first Qi2 chargers start to arrive, and Satechi is showing off its first two compatible products today at CES.

Both devices are folding stands designed to charge a pair of earbuds and a phone — using MagSafe or Qi2 — at the same time, while the higher-end of the devices adds an Apple Watch charger to the back. The company said in its announcement that they’ll be available in the second quarter of the year, costing $79.99 for the 2-in-1 stand and $129.99 for the 3-in-1 version.

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Nomad unveils its first fast Qi2 wireless stand charger

Nomad, a reputable producer of phone cases and accessories, has announced its first stand charger based on the new magnet-enhanced Qi2 standard. The $100 Stand Qi2 Magnetic Wireless Charger is capable of charging MagSafe and Qi2-enabled devices at up to 15W, and features a metal and glass design that’ll be available in black or white. You’ll have to supply your own 20W USB-C power adapter, but Nomad has at least included a two-meter USB-C to USB-C cable alongside the product.

Much like other Qi2-based chargers that have been announced — such as Belkin’s new BoostCharge offerings, Anker’s latest MagGo accessories, and Mophie’s upcoming trio — the Nomad Stand Qi2 charger isn’t available to purchase yet. Nomad’s marketing director Chuck Melber told The Verge that it’ll go on sale “in the coming weeks,” but no official release date has been revealed.

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Anker’s Qi2 wireless chargers will fast-charge iPhone 13, 14, and 15 at 15W

Now that Apple has released a preview of the next iOS update, Anker says its upcoming Qi2-compatible wireless chargers will provide faster 15W charging for iPhone 13, iPhone 14, and iPhone 15 devices.

Apple has not responded to a request for comment, but presumably, this support will extend to all Qi2 chargers. The only problem left is that there are no certified products available for purchase yet, despite companies like Anker, Belkin, and Mophie announcing Qi2-compatible hardware a few months ago.

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The best magnetic chargers for your MagSafe iPhone

Wireless charging is inefficient in many ways. It charges your phone more slowly than using a cable, uses more energy, and requires near-perfect alignment on a charging pad to even work. But inefficiencies aside, it’s just so dang convenient. So when Apple added a ring of magnets to the iPhone 12 and dubbed it “MagSafe,” things got much more interesting. Not only do the magnets guarantee perfect alignment every time but also, with a MagSafe-certified charger, your iPhone can charge at up to 15W — double the 7.5W they get with other wireless chargers. And the magnets also allow for nifty accessories, like car mounts and detachable card wallets.

Now, the next version of Qi, imaginatively named Qi2, will incorporate a ring of magnets around the charging coil, similar to MagSafe. It should enable wireless charging at up to 15W, even on iPhones, without official MagSafe certification. However, there are no Qi2-certified devices yet — even Apple’s website lists “future Qi2 support” for the iPhone 15 — and we don’t expect any before November. So while Apple’s wireless charging ecosystem is still a little messy (even with the iPhone 15 being the fourth generation of MagSafe phones and now featuring USB-C wired charging), perhaps things may get a little easier in the future once we’re fully in the Qi2 era.

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Qi2’s MagSafe-like wireless charging is finally almost here

Qi2 — the next version of the wireless charging standard, now with more magnets! — is more almost-here than ever. The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced today that the first Qi v2.0 devices are nearly through the certification process, with the first available “in time for the holiday season” and more than 100 either in certification testing or waiting in line. The iPhone 15 series will be the first Qi2-certified phones.

Qi is the open wireless charging standard that pretty much everyone uses. It’s in Androids and iPhones, and MagSafe is built on top of it. Version 2.0 includes updates to the non-magnetic Qi standard, which we’ll get to, but it also introduces Qi2.

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Qi2: how Apple might finally harness MagSafe by giving it away

It’s safe to say that Apple’s MagSafe magnetic charging pucks for iPhone have not created the amazing snap-on accessory ecosystem we’d hoped. Instead of freely allowing manufacturers to create gadgets that power and / or communicate with an iPhone, the company chose its traditional tight licensing stranglehold. But this time, manufacturers realized they didn’t need to play Apple’s game because the two main components of MagSafe — a Qi wireless charging coil and an array of magnets — were freely available. The result: a wide array of “MagSafe-compatible” accessories of varying quality.

But now, Apple’s trying something different. With the blessing of competitors, Apple is about to change the Qi wireless standard itself. It’s contributing to a new version of Qi that works much like MagSafe — magnets, authentication, and all.

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