A new rumor claims Apple will allow its iPhone 15 lineup to support 15W fast charging with non-MagSafe wireless chargers. Currently, only Apple-approved wireless chargers can support 15W fast charging, while Qi chargers have been limited to a maximum of 7.5W.
Apple’s MagSafe charging system has been capable of 15W wireless charging ever since it first debuted alongside the iPhone 12 lineup. To enable fast charging, Apple requires users to use its own power adapter or a compatible third-party USB-C power adapter that supports USB Power Delivery (USB-PD).”
Now comes a rumor from leaker “yeux1122” saying that the company is dropping its requirement for those “comparable” adapters to be approved by Apple.
“The Apple iPhone 15 series is said to be capable of open 15W wireless fast charging even if it is not a certified wireless charger,” writes the leaker in a blog post. The post includes a screenshot showing the news in Chinese. A machine translation says the Chinese source says the news comes from “charging head network,” presumably the manufacturing supply chain.
If the rumor is correct, the change may be related to the Qi2 charging standard. (A photo on the post page shows a small photo of a Qi2 wireless charging pad.) Also, in January, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced that its next-generation Qi charging technology will incorporate Apple’s MagSafe magnetic charging functionality.
Qi2 is a new unified wireless charging standard that incorporates a Magnetic Power Profile, which means that devices that adopt Qi2 in the future will use the same MagSafe magnetic technology that is available in Apple’s MagSafe devices, such as the iPhone 12 and later.
The WPC says that the Magnetic Power Profile in Qi2 will make sure that phones and other battery-powered mobile products are perfectly aligned with charging devices providing energy efficiency and faster charging. Qi2 will allow for new accessories that would not be chargeable using existing flat surface-to-flat surface devices.
Qi2 will enable faster charging for some devices. It will also pave the way for significant future increases in wireless charging speeds that are safe, and energy-efficient and won’t shorten battery life or damage a user’s phone.
The Qi2 standard will debut later this year, and it will replace the current Qi standard. Qi2 smartphones and chargers are expected to debut during the 2023 holiday season.
Wireless charger makers (and perhaps consumers) will benefit financially from getting Qi2 certification rather than a MagSafe certification through Apple’s MFi (Made for iPhone) program. That’s because the required hardware for MFi certification runs about $16 per charger.