Thanks to the latest update, the entire iPhone 12 series got support for Qi2 wireless charging. Based on the testing that Macworld conducted, the iPhone 12 with iOS 17.4 can charge at 15W when connected to a third-party Qi2 wireless charger.
The iPhone 12 series now supports Qi2 wireless charging
As many of you know, the iPhone 12 was limited to 7.5W Qi charging with third-party wireless charging. Well, that’s no longer the case, as long as the Qi2 standard is in motion. It’ll still charge at 7.5W if you use a regular Qi charger.
Newer iPhones already have that feature enabled. Support for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 series arrived back in December. It arrived with the iOS 17.2 update. It took a bit longer for the iPhone 12 to get there, but the support is finally here.
We’re seeing more and more Qi2 accessories out in the market, which is great. Qi2 standard basically brings MagSafe functionality to any phone. Apple worked with the Wireless Power Consortium in order to make it happen.
Qi2 accessories use magnets, as does MagSafe
Qi2 accessories use magnets, similar to MagSafe, to make devices align perfectly so that the charging can commence. Unfortunately, it’s limited to 15W, but at least there are magnets in the play now.
As many of you know, many smartphones out there support wireless charging much faster than 15W. We’ve seen plenty of phones with 50W wireless charging, and some with 80W and 100W wireless charging too.
If you’re using any of those devices, this may seem rather unappealing. However, if you’re charging your device overnight, or something, you don’t really care. Also, this enables you to magnetize battery packs on the back of your phone when needed, which is quite convenient. You will need a compatible phone or an accessory that goes on that phone, though, of course.
