Barely a year after its announcement, the Wireless Power Consortium’s (WPC) open wireless charging standard Qi2 (pronounced ‘chee two’) is already supporting over 1100 new product lines and 1.5 billion devices worldwide — marking a 6-fold adoption rate compared to the preceding Qi standard. With new developers and manufacturers entering the fray, here’s what to expect from Qi2 wireless charging in 2025.
What it means to be “Qi2 Ready”
The original Qi2 standard required magnets to be built into devices according to the Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) standard. This would not only ensure alignment between devices and charging coils, but also compatibility between devices and chargers across MagSafe and Qi2. However, concerns over thickness and weight caused manufacturers to hesitate in their adoption of Qi2.
In response, WPC formulated Magnetic Case Profile for EPP phones (MCPE), enabling non-magnetic BPP and EPP phone users to enjoy the benefits of MPP via in-case magnets. Such phones and cases qualify for the Qi2 Ready label, allowing manufacturers to participate in the Qi2 ecosystem without mandating built-in magnets. Part of the Qi v2.1 update, Qi Ready enables the incorporation of wireless charging via magnet-embedded phone cases instead. As of the time of writing, WPC allows MPP-supported devices to be branded as Qi2, while their non-magnetic Extended Power Profile and Base Power Profile counterparts will remain labelled as Qi — even if they happen to be aligned with version 2.0.0 or higher.
While this move may lead to confusion, pundits generally agree that Qi2 Ready could encourage standardization across phone accessories, potentially eliminating problems such as imperfect alignment of third-party phone cases to coils—a rising problem that can already be witnessed in today’s market.
Qi v2.1 Active Alignment Power Profile (APP) and the expanding wireless charging device market
Also featuring in Qi v2.1 is Panasonic Automotive Systems’ Active Alignment Power Profile, also known as moving coil technology. As wireless charging is incorporated into in-vehicle charging systems, moving coils will ensure charging speed consistency while also enhancing user experience by enabling ideal coil alignment wherever devices are placed on a charging pad. This technology enables the use of a single charger for both EPP and MPP power profiles without compromising on power transfer rates. The technology works by sending small pulse signals to locate mobile phone coils, thereby aligning the transmitter coils to provide maximum coupling and efficiency during power transfer.
What to expect beyond Qi2 and 2025
The Qi2 wireless charging development is expected to accelerate in the coming years, as major players like Samsung roll out Qi2-enabled devices. Google will also be playing a leading role in the development of the Qi v2.2 standard, contributing its very own high-power wireless charging technology to WPC.
Get the latest Qi2 wireless charging developments at GRL’s upcoming webinar with RF Safety Lab [New Qi v2.1 Technical Features + Compliance Considerations for USA and Canada] happening on 5-6 February, 2025. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your burning questions answered by President, FCC & ISED Compliance of RF Safety Laboratory, Steve Liu, as well as GRL Executive Vice President of Protocol and Power Solutions, Rajaraman V.
Officially certify your device for Qi at GRL’s WPC Authorized Test Labs (ATLs) or automated Qi2 compliance testing yourself with our modular wireless charging test solutions.
