Ever since the Qi2 wireless charging standard was announced at CES 2023 earlier this year, one question we’ve had is when we’re going to see phones and accessories that support it. Fortunately, we don’t have to wait very long, because Belkin has just announced a bunch of new products at IFA — including 2 Qi2 wireless charging pads.
And with rumors circulating that the iPhone 15 will support the Qi2 standard, the timing could be quite convenient.
The first of these chargers is Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Pad with Qi2 which, as the name suggests, lets you charge three devices at any given time. The catch is that only two of them are Qi2 chargers, with the third option taking the form of a USB-C Apple Watch charger that plugs into the side of the pad.
Belkin claims that the charger offers perfect alignment with Qi2 compatible devices, which makes sense when you think about it. Qi2 is directly based on Apple’s MagSafe technology, and an array of magnets in the charger and your device means the two should snap together without much effort. To make the relationship extra-clear, Belkin says that the two charging pads are MagSafe compatible.
The downside is that Qi2 devices appear to be the only ones capable of getting a full 15W wireless charging experience. Other Qi devices, including a pair of Belkin’s new earbuds, will be limited to 5W.
This pad goes on sale later this yea , and will retail for $130 / £120. A Qi2 2-in-1 charging pad, without the Apple Watch attachment, will retail for $80 / £70
If a magnetic pad isn’t really your style, how about a Qi2 pad that converts into a phone stand? The BoostCharge Convertible Qi2 Wireless Pad to Stand is just that, functioning as a regular wireless charging pad by default — but with the ability to flip upwards and ensure your phone screen is within view at all times.
Belkin hasn’t specified how fast the stand will charge, but we assume it’ll be at 15W. Not only is that what the 3-in1 pad charges to, it’s also the fastest wireless charging speed you can get on a MagSafe-friendly iPhone right now.
We don’t know about speed limits on Qi1 devices either, but seeing as the stand function relies on Qi2 (or MagSafe) magnets you’re better off with a different product. Fortunately Belkin has something for you.
The Qi2 wireless pad to stand goes on sale in Q1 2024, and will retail for $60 / £50.
The BoostCharge Pro Universal Easy Align Wireless Charging Pad has also been unveiled at IFA. On top of the rather excessively long name, this pad comes with an easy alignment design to ensure you get your phone charging as quickly as possible. This one charges at up to 15W, offers no-slip material to keep your phone in place, and two thermal protection systems to prevent any pesky overheating that would otherwise slowly kill your battery.
This pad will arrive in September for the price of $40 / £30.
Will iPhone 15 be first Qi2-compatible phone?
It’s worth reiterating that both these Qi2 chargers are a lot more useful if you have a Qi2 phone. The problem is that we haven’t actually seen any phones launch with Qi2 since the standard was announced back in January — and there’s no word on when we might actually see them.
The only rumours we’ve heard so far are that the Google Pixel 8 won’t support Qi2, while there’s a chance that the iPhone 15 will. The latter makes sense, since the iPhone 15 is guaranteed to include MagSafe, and the fact Qi2 has been specifically designed to be similar to MagSafe means the difference between the two is probably rather trivial.
Belkin typically has a very close relationship with Apple, too, and a number of Belkin products are available from the Apple Store. Considering the iPhone 15 is expected to arrive before the end of September, and the only other major phone announcement on the cards is the Pixel 8, the timing of Belkin’s Qi2 line-up seems a little too convenient to be mere coincidence.
Not that it’s absolutely guaranteed that the iPhone 15 will be supporting Qi2. For all we know, Belkin could be jumping the gun ahead of a future phone launch – such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 or OnePlus 12.
Watch this space, and make sure to hold off on picking up one of these new charging pads until there are actually phones that support them.
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