Apple’s iOS 17.2 update brings Qi2 wireless charging to iPhone 13 and 14 series phones
The Cupertino company, which usually plays it safe when it comes to new standards, has already surprised users with Qi2 compatibility on its latest iPhone 15 series of phones, but now it apparently wants to expand this support. The iOS 17.2 operating system upgrade for Apple phones brings Qi2 wireless charging to all iPhone 13 and 14 series devices, see the release notes for this software release.
This means that the mentioned iPhone models should support wireless charging up to 15W with Qi2 certified chargers, although the notes still do not confirm the official technical specifications. We'll find out when iOS 17.2 becomes available to the general public, which will likely be in a few days. The news that iOS 17.2 will bring was noticed by the portal 9to5Mac, as well as by others Twitter (X) users.
Qi2 is the next generation of the Qi wireless charging standard, which offers a more reliable connection by adding magnets to this technology, which then enables faster and more convenient charging. The maximum charging speed provided by Qi2 is 15W, which, while considerably slower than the new . charging standards, is significantly faster than the current maximum of 7.5W for a Qi charger.
Until now, 15 W charging on the mentioned iPhone models was only possible through Apple MagSafe certification on chargers, while cheaper MagSafe compatible chargers were limited to exactly the mentioned 7.5 W.
AppleWith iOS 17.2 now bringing Qi2 to Apple's 13 and 14 series phones, their users are getting a better selection of options when it comes to 15W wireless chargers. This stems from the fact that manufacturers of wireless chargers will not have to pay Apple Premium for MagSafe certification.
Qi2 wireless charging, i.e. the charging standard was first presented at this year's CES 2023 fair, with the main focus on fast charging similar to MagSafe certification, even for Android devices.
This charging standard uses Magnetic Power Profile technology to ensure compatibility between phone and charger. Although output is currently limited to 15W, future iterations should significantly increase charging speeds beyond 15W, the Wireless Power Consortium claims, which is likely to be the topic of next month's CES.