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The release candidate beta update, which is typically the last one before the final public update, lists Qi2 support for the older phones among its features.
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The iPhone 14 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro.
Image: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Apple just pushed the release candidate of iOS 17.2, and the upcoming update brings support for the Qi2 wireless charging standard to iPhone 13- and iPhone 14-series smartphones, according to the patch notes. Apple says the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro already support Qi2, though there aren’t actually any Qi2 chargers to buy yet (which might change soon).
Qi2 adds a MagSafe-like ring of magnets to the Qi wireless charging standard and brings the charge rate up to 15W. For Android phones, that means faster, more convenient wireless charging and access to the huge ecosystem of magnetic wireless chargers that have sprung up to support MagSafe iPhones. For iPhones, it means MagSafe-speed charging without paying MagSafe prices. Right now, if you charge an iPhone on a magnetic wireless charger that is not MagSafe-certified, the charging speeds top out at 7.5W, but if you use a MagSafe-certified charger (which is more expensive than other wireless chargers), you’ll see speeds up to 15W.
The biggest unknowns are the charging speeds you’ll get when you plop an iPhone 13 or 14 on a Qi2 charger. While Apple previously confirmed to The Verge that the iPhone 15 family will charge at up to 15W on Qi2 chargers, it declined to state at that time whether Qi2 would come to earlier iPhones, and so far, it hasn’t explicitly said that the 13 and 14 phones will charge at 15W on Qi2 chargers. It’s very likely that they will. We’ve reached out to Apple, Anker, Belkin, and the Wireless Power Consortium to see if they can share further details.
Apple usually shares iOS release candidates a few days before releasing the software publicly, so it’s likely that iOS 17.2 will be available for everyone this week or next. The update also adds the Journal app, the ability for iPhone 15 Pro phones to capture spatial video, a fix for iPhone 15 wireless charging issues in certain cars, a setting that lets you change the default sound for notifications, and more. You can read the full patch notes on 9to5Mac.