A new rumor coming out of China says Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 lineup will support 15W wireless fast charging, even when using non-MagSafe certified chargers from third parties.
Currently, when using a certified MagSafe wireless charger, be it from Apple or a third party, the iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and iPhone 14 will charge at 15W or what’s known as fast charging. Standard Qi-certified wireless chargers top out at 7.5W.
According to a Weibo post shred by news aggregator account “yeux1122”, the iPhone 15 series will be capable of wireless charging at 15W using non-MFM certified chargers, which are usually more affordable than chargers from Apple or that carry an Apple certification.
While we won’t know anything for sure until the iPhone 15 lineup is unveiled in September. the rumor makes sense, as Apple is contributing to a new version of the Qi open standard that works much like MagSafe.
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced the next-generation Qi2 wireless standard in January, which incorporates a Magnetic Power Profile, which means that devices that adopt Qi2 in the future will use the same MagSafe magnetic technology that is available in Apple’s MagSafe devices, such as the iPhone 12 and later.
The WPC says that the Magnetic Power Profile in Qi2 will make sure that phones and other battery-powered mobile products are perfectly aligned with charging devices providing energy efficiency and faster charging. Qi2 will allow for new accessories that would not be chargeable using existing flat surface-to-flat surface devices.
Qi2 will enable faster charging for some devices. It will also pave the way for significant future increases in wireless charging speeds that are safe, and energy-efficient and won’t shorten battery life or damage a user’s phone.
The Qi2 standard will debut later this year, and it will replace the current Qi standard. Qi2 smartphones and chargers are expected to debut during the 2023 holiday season.
Apple’s iPhone 15 series is expected to be announced during a traditional September media event.
