Ryan Haines / Android Authority
January saw the launch of two of 2024’s biggest flagships: the Samsung Galaxy S24 series and the OnePlus 12. The two boast the crème de la crème of Android specs, with some of the best cameras, chipsets, and displays. These will be the two Android phones to beat for many months to come and yet… something is missing in those very long spec sheets, isn’t it?
There’s no Qi2 support on either of these phones. I know I keep harping about this, but hear me out one more time: Qi2 wireless charging was announced a year ago and was supposed to show up in phones last October. October came and went, and so did November, December, and January (well, almost). I know how to count months.
Even for the iPhone 15 series, Apple only admits compatibility with Qi2’s higher charging speeds and magnet array, without out and out proclaiming that its phones actually have Qi2. Officially, there’s no phone with Qi2 just yet.
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Ryan Haines / Android Authority
So where is Qi2? The accessories are here. Between IFA last year and CES this year, we’ve seen Belkin, Anker, Scosche, and Mophie announce and launch their wireless chargers, power banks, stands, and mats with Qi2 compatibility. Amazon is starting to fill up with even more Qi2-certified accessories. The ecosystem is ready and all that’s missing is… a phone to use it.
Neither the Galaxy S24 series nor the OnePlus 12 snapped to our MagSafe and Qi2 accessories.
Even though I’d already predicted that the Galaxy S24 and OnePlus 12 wouldn’t get Qi2, I’m still quite disappointed that I was right about that. I was hoping for one last-minute surprise. But the truth is that neither phone has the circular metallic array necessary for Qi2 attachment. Trust us, we tested them. As a matter of fact, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is so magnet-averse that the S Pen starts misbehaving if you try to use it while you have a MagSafe adapter or case on the phone.
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
Fans of Samsung’s Galaxy S series and OnePlus’ flagships will have to wait one full year before joining in on the fun of magnets. No snapping a portable battery without wires, no using magnetic wallets or accessories, no slapping an easily-removable magnetic Popsocket, no attaching the phone to a tripod without clamping it in place; none of that convenience.
Other Android phones might be luckier, though. The year is still young and dozens of smartphones will launch from Xiaomi, OPPO, HONOR, VIVO, Moto, and ASUS. The Pixel 9 series is still nine months away, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are six months away — plenty of time to implement Qi2. At least on paper.
The longer it takes to see Qi2 phones on the market, the more outdated Qi2’s 15W charging speed will become.
We all know Qi2 will become the norm of wireless charging soon enough, just like the standard’s first generation did, but it shouldn’t take this long. Especially not when Qi2’s 15W speed was already arguably slow back in 2023. The longer compatible phones take to come, the more outdated the standard will become.
Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do except wait. Meanwhile, you can grab a MagSafe case for your Android phone and pretend you have the built-in magic of magnets. Oh, snap.
