Thanks to changes to the Qi2 specification, smartphone cases can now be “certified” as Qi-compatible “devices.”
At CES 2025, the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced the latest spec update, Qi 2.1.0. The update introduces “extensions” including a new wireless charger tech that can move the coil to align with the device, as well as “Qi2 Ready,” a new program that lets devices offload magnets from the smartphone to an “approved” case.
The result of that change is that, now, smartphone cases can be “certified” for Qi charging, which opens the door to a lot of confusion.
On the WPC’s Qi-certified database, a “Magnet Clear Case” for the Galaxy S25 has been certified as compatible with the Qi 2.1.0 spec. This appears to be Samsung’s official case. The rest of the Galaxy S25 series was added to the database over the weekend. The case is listed as Qi 2.1.0 compatible and supporting up to 15W of power.
Of course, the confusion here is that this is listed as a “receiving” Qi device even though, being just a case, it has no actual Qi coil or power source. The clear benefit to cases being “certified” for Qi2 is that it ensures these cases are actually going to have magnets that align with the charging coil they’re supposed to be attached to, but it’s clear that more work is going to be needed here. Especially seeing as this is only the first case to be compatible. What about third-party options? Plus, there’s no marker for the case that actually designates it as “Qi2 Ready.” As such, consumers buying Samsung’s official case have no idea it’s any different from the random $10 magnetic case they buy on Amazon.
This is something the WPC will certainly need to address, especially if it seeks to live up to its self-stated mission of “eliminating consumer confusion.”
The Qi v2.0 standard will unify the wireless charging industry under one global standard, eliminating consumer confusion and enabling greater device interoperability.
What do you think?
More on Qi2:
- Samsung Galaxy S25 series officially supports Qi 2.1 and 15W charging speeds
- Galaxy S25 is ready for Qi2, but there’s a problem with MagSafe accessories
- Qi2 is adding support for a moving coil, and it’s super cool [Video]
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