Qi

Samsung committed itself on Monday to integrating Qi2 wireless charging into its Galaxy line of Android-based smartphones. It’s been dragging its feet for years, while the last four generations of iPhone models all support the standard.

Samsung’s just-announced adoption of Qi2 should benefit iPhone users, who until now have been the only ones able to take advantage of the new standard. More handsets using the magnetically enhanced wireless charging capability should lead to more accessories that employ it. More cross-platform accessories are a win for everyone.

Add the iPhone 12 to the list of handsets that support the new Qi2 cross-platform wireless charging standard that’s based on MagSafe. Apparently, Apple gave the older phones support for the newest chargers without mentioning it.

More recent iPhone models already can use Qi2 accessories.

The Wireless Power Consortium promised Wednesday that the first chargers using the emerging Qi2 standard will be on the market in time for the holiday season.

Qi2 unifies wireless charging for iPhone and Android, bringing the advantages of Apple’s MagSafe to rival handsets.

Qi2 is a new wireless charging standard expected to go into widespread use later in 2023. And, according to an unconfirmed report, the upcoming iPhone 15 will be one of the handsets that supports it, including 15W charging.

That’s not surprising, considering Qi2 is heavily based on the MagSafe system built into current iPhones.

MagSafe is headed for non-Apple handsets. The Wireless Power Consortium is making Apple’s innovative wireless charging system for iPhone into an industry standard dubbed “Qi2.”

The first Qi2 devices are expected to hit the market by the end of 2023.

Power up all your Apple mobile devices with the HyperJuice 4-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe. The desktop stand can simultaneously juice up an iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods and fourth device of your choice… like a second iPhone.

As a bonus, the iPhone MagSafe stand folds up for easier transport. And it can get power from either USB-C or a DC charger.

Three new offerings now join Satechi’s formidable charger lineup for iPhone 12 and 13 series handsets and other portable devices: a MagSafe-compatible car mount charger, a high-output car charger and a USB-C PD wall charger.

Many homes and offices have a collection of iPhones, Apple Watches and AirPods that need charging every night. Rather than a collection of these cluttered together, the RapidX Modula5 system offers wireless chargers that magnetically snap together and run off a single cable.

I used Modula5 in my multi-device home. Here’s why I like it.

The HiRise Wireless manages a rare feat: it’s both useful and attractive. This charger holds your iPhone up at an angle where the screen can be easily seen. And a removable core allows this accessory to be used while traveling. Just as importantly, the base unit would look at home on any CEO’s desk.

Find out if this is the wireless charger you’ve been looking for in our hands-on review — and bag yours for 20% less in the Cult of Mac Store’s Black Friday sale.

Satechi’s Quatro Wireless Power Bank stands out from the pack by including a built-in Apple Watch charger. It can also wirelessly power an iPhone. In addition, the 10,000 mAh external battery has USB-C and USB-A ports. That gives it a total of four ways to charge — hence the “quatro” name.

Apple Watch is almost due for its annual hardware update, which comes like clockwork every September. First came the addition of GPS, then cellular, a thinner case with a bigger screen, a compass, and even an ECG heart monitor.

With each new model, Cupertino’s wearable creeps closer to perfection, which presents a bit of a problem. What do you add to the smartwatch that has everything?

Here’s my top 10 wish list of features I’m hoping Apple has up its sleeve.

Portable battery packs are a must-have for anyone who finds their iPhone running low on juice before the day is done. But who wants to tackle tangled cables on the go? With Xvida’s wireless charging battery, you don’t have to.

This 4,000mAh power bank packs Qi charging technology, so it can top up your iPhone — and a whole host of other devices — without wires. Bag yours today from the Cult of Mac Store.

The number of Apple products with wireless charging support keeps growing. Accessory makers responded by unveiling multi-device chargers at CES 2020 that can send power to iPhone, AirPods, Apple Watch and other accessories all at once, with no wires needed.

Both Satechi and Pitaka unveiled wireless multi-device chargers at this trade show, going on now in Las Vegas.

Charging an iPhone used to be so simple. You’d grab your 30-pin dock connector cable, the one that was almost as big as an AirPods charging case, and you’d jam it into the huge slot on the bottom of your iPhone. Then you’d wait.

Today, the kids don’t know how easy they have it. They can plug in a svelte, skinny Lightning cable to charge their iPhones, but they can also opt for several other ultra-modern (and probably fashionable) charging methods. Hell, even the olde worlde cable method has some high-tech, high-speed alternatives.

Let’s get right into it. Here are six different ways you can charge your iPhone.

The AirPods Pro come in a Qi-enabled wireless charging case, which means you can just drop it onto a charging mat, grab them a while later, and everything is topped up and ready to go. But the LED indicator on the case blinks off soon after you start charging. What’s up? How do you find out if your AirPods are full yet?

Cult of Mac is now offering an exclusive deal on the excellent AluBase wireless charger from Just Mobile.

It’s the perfect time to treat yo’ self to the fastest possible wireless charge for iPhone, and great design that you won’t want to hide away.

Order yours today from the Cult of Mac Store to get $15 off the usual price. You won’t find this discount anywhere else.

This is the Livboj, an inexpensive but hard-to-find Qi charging pad from Ikea. Last week, I visited my local Ikea to stock up on frozen cinnamon buns. I got lost, and found a stack of these amazing devices instead.

Despite its dirt-cheap price tag of 5 euros ($5.50), the Livboj is pretty great. So far I’ve experienced none of the problems other people report from far-more-expensive Qi pads. You should snap up one of these elusive chargers — if you’re lucky enough to spot one next time you’re at Ikea.

Apple couldn’t deliver AirPower for reasons we’re still not completely sure of, but others have been able to pull off the seemingly impossible. One of those is Xvida with its terrific do-it-all wireless charging pad.

The Triple Power Magnetic Wireless Charger tops up your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously. And it’s available to order today at a surprinsingly sweet price.

Wireless charging is so much easier than the daily hassle of plugging and unplugging your iPhone. And the new AirPods wireless charging case makes giving up Lightning cables even more logical. Satechi just introduced a Apple-compatible wireless charger that’s not only functional, it’s also great looking.

We fully tested this accessory out, so don’t miss our hands-on review.

The recently-launched wireless charging case for Apple’s AirPods is starting to reach customers’ hands, and it comes with a surprise: there’s a picture of the AirPower charging mat on the box, even though this isn’t available yet.

Will you buy Apple’s new AirPods? They look fantastic. They offer longer battery life, quicker connections, “Hey Siri” support, and there’s even an optional wireless charging case. But are all those extras enough to make you upgrade if you already own first-gen AirPods?

Another small but significant reference to Apple’s long-awaited AirPower charging mat has been spotted this week, giving fans hope that the product is still in the pipeline after all.

AirPower is mentioned on an Apple product page for its new Smart Battery Case for iPhone XS. But what does it mean?

Wireless chargers are great, but almost all of them are ugly and boring. That’s why Twelve South invented the PowerPic, an attractive photo frame that charges your iPhone — and any other Qi-compatible device — when you place it inside.

With no mention of it during the iPhone XS keynote, and little sign of it on Apple’s website, it was beginning to look like AirPower had been wiped entirely from Apple’s plans. But it seems the wireless charger isn’t quite dead yet.

AirPower is mentioned in the iPhone XS user guide, early adopters have noticed today. A reference in the latest iOS 12.1 beta also provides hope for the device.

Apple’s upcoming AirPods case will offer more than just wireless charging for your headphones, according to a sketchy new report.

A source familiar with Apple’s plans claims the case will double as an iPhone charger that will give you a boost in battery life when you’re in a pinch. The device could be available before the end of this year.