A new report from Macworld claims iOS 17.4 brings support for 15W wireless charging with Qi2 to the iPhone 12. Qi2 is a next-generation wireless charging technology designed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and based on MagSafe.
Qi2 enables faster charging for some devices. The Magnetic Power Profile in Qi2 makes sure that phones and other battery-powered mobile products are perfectly aligned with charging devices providing energy efficiency and faster charging. Qi2 allows for new accessories that would not be chargeable using previous flat surface-to-flat surface devices.
MagSafe first debuted alongside the iPhone 12 and offers up to 15W charging. Third-party wireless chargers without MagSafe certification have been limited to maximum speeds of 7.5W, but Qi2 can reach the full 15W.
Last year, Apple released iOS 17.2, which enabled 15W charging with Qi2 wireless chargers on the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14. Since the iPhone 15 lineup supported Qi2 out of the box, the iPhone 12 was left as the only iPhone models with MagSafe without Qi2 compatibility.
Maxworld reports that both reader reports and its own testing that the iPhone 12 is able to charge at 15W when using a Qi2 wireless charger after an update to iOS 17.4. When using a Qi2 charger, the device now displays the animation that only appears when 15W charging is active. The publication’s tests with an Anker Qi2 MagGo Wireless Charger demonstrated charging speeds in line with MagSafe.