The Pixel 10 may break Android’s Qi2 curse with built-in magnets and first-party equipment

You nearly must really feel dangerous for the HMD Skyline. It may have been the primary mainstream Android cellphone with actual Qi2 help, however individuals discovered it underpowered and overpriced, so it by no means caught on. Then, the Galaxy S25 household nearly broke new floor, solely to disclose the Wi-fi Energy Consortium’s up to date, magnet-free Qi2 Prepared commonplace.

This time, issues are totally different. A extremely dependable leak courtesy of insider Kamila Wojciechowska and Android Authority signifies full Qi2 help may hit Google’s smartphone lineup this 12 months. The revelation comes after uncovering “credible advertising supplies” outlining a set of Qi2.2 equipment, dubbed the “Pixelsnap” lineup, which means the Pixel 10 sequence will doubtless have the required magnets and coils baked in, all within the right positions.

Years later, Qi2 arrives (on the Pixel)

Magnets for the plenty

This could possibly be us, however the HMD Skyline wasn’t excellent.

After a surprisingly dramatic sequence of twists and turns concerning whether or not Qi2 really requires inner magnets, I went proper to the supply. The WPC assured me, and others, that it wasn’t stress-free its requirements. So, think about my frustration when it unveiled the Qi2 Prepared commonplace, which, on the time, appeared extra like a carved-out exception for Samsung than a consumer-focused determination.

I ended up consuming my phrases when stories emerged of the Pixel 9 Professional XL not taking part in good with all Qi2 chargers. Because it seems, the 9 Professional XL’s charging coil is off-center by simply sufficient to trigger issues with magnetically connecting to Qi2 chargers, making it ineligible for the Qi2 Prepared commonplace.

Fortunately, Google seems poised to squash that bug with the Pixel 10 lineup. Leaker Kamila Wojciechowska gained entry to a set of promoting supplies on a deliberate lineup of Pixelsnap equipment, together with a charger, a hoop stand, and a charger with a stand.

That not directly implies the Pixel 10’s full Qi2 help, however Wojciechowska went a step additional, to rule out one other Qi2 Prepared-style bait and swap. In doing so, they discovered surprising particulars. The wi-fi charger is not simply Qi2, it is Qi2.2, and the commerce database itemizing they referenced explicitly talked about Magnetic Energy Profile help. That MPP help lies on the coronary heart of a cellphone’s capability to stay firmly to magnetic Qi2 equipment.

Further insider investigation led Wojciechowska to clear affirmation: the Pixel 10 household will very doubtless help the Qi2.2 commonplace. What’s extra, the controller chip slated for the flagship technically helps as much as 60W wi-fi charging. That offers Google the overhead to do greater than break Android’s years-long magnetic accent curse. It may blow Apple’s MagSafe charging — the unique tech behind Qi2 — out of the water.