Technology · Power

Qi2

Wireless charging, aligned by magnets.

Qi2 is the Wireless Power Consortium’s wireless-charging standard built around the Magnetic Power Profile: a ring of magnets aligns the device and the charging coil precisely every time. Alignment is the difference between wireless charging that is efficient and predictable and wireless charging that quietly wastes energy as heat.

The problem Qi2 solves

Inductive charging transfers energy between two coils. When the coils sit even slightly off-centre, coupling drops sharply: more energy becomes heat, charging slows, and the pad may cycle on and off. The first generation of Qi left alignment to the user’s aim. Qi2 makes it mechanical — magnets pull the device into the correct position and hold it there.

What certification means

Qi2 is a certification, not a styling cue. A certified product has passed the consortium’s interoperability and safety testing: foreign-object detection, thermal behaviour, and correct power negotiation with other certified devices. Magnets alone do not make a product Qi2 — and honest manufacturers state their certification status explicitly.

Attachment changes the product category

Because the magnetic ring holds real weight, Qi2 enables charging accessories that attach — banks that ride the phone, mounts that charge while holding. The standard effectively turned wireless charging from a surface into a connection.

Honest limits

• Wireless transfer always loses more energy than a cable; magnets reduce the loss, they do not eliminate it.
• Case thickness and material still matter — metal or very thick cases weaken or block both magnets and power.
• Charging speed over Qi2 is bounded by the profile and by thermal limits; a cable remains the fastest path.

Published 28 September 2026 · Reviewed by 28 March 2027 · All technology