The new Qi2 wireless charging standard has been given the moniker MagSafe for Android, because the magnetic rings used are in the same array and general strength. It was announced at the beginning of 2023 and finalized that summer, and this new generation held the promise of bringing the wide, wonderfully flexible world of MagSafe accessories to non-Apple phones.
As someone who’s been rocking MagSafe cases on Android for a while, I was excited to finally use them without needing the middle man of a magnetic case — or enjoy Qi2’s magnetism even when wearing thin, non-magnetic cases. Magnetic wireless charging is more consistent and adaptable, and I became rapidly addicted to swapping between phone grip brands without needing to switch cases or pry up 3M adhesive.
This article was produced in partnership with Supcase, but its contents were not shown to the company beforehand. All content is written independently and meets Android Police’s stringent editorial standards.
We’d prayed, wished, and begged Samsung to make the Galaxy S24 the first Qi2 phone — and maybe upgrade the Galaxy series’ charging speeds for the first time in five years — but our hopes were mercilessly dashed upon the rocks of reality… and production schedules.
During a hands-on event ahead of this week’s launch, Samsung told Android Police that it withheld Qi2 from the Galaxy S24 because the phone was in development before the standard was finalized. Given that most phones are under development for 18 to 24 months before their release, it’s a mostly plausible excuse. While Qi2 was finalized in July, Samsung would’ve had earlier access as a member of the Wireless Power Consortium.
The more likely issue here is that if Samsung had added Qi2 to the Galaxy S24, it would’ve required a whole new set of fast wireless chargers and phone accessories. Samsung’s current chargers and the customization-focused Grip, Gadget, and Frame cases would all be incompatible with Qi2’s magnetic attachments, rendering its growing collection of customizable gadgets, grips, and case frames worthless.
In either event, Samsung turned down Qi2 this generation and is shipping the Galaxy S24 without a magnetic ring or the upgraded Qi2 coils. And while it’s a momentary bummer — both for buyers and case makers — the world of Qi2 is still very much open to S24 users thanks to the blossoming world of MagSafe Android cases.
You might think that adding MagSafe or Qi2 to a case is as easy as slapping on a ring and getting it out the door — after all, that’s how MagSafe adapters work — but a fair bit is happening behind the scenes. For instance, i-Blason told us it took most of 2023 to prepare its first Qi2 cases:
After [Qi2] was released, we immediately started researching and developing in hopes of adding MagSafe to our next launch of Samsung cases. After almost a year of research and testing we’re finally able to bring it to our Galaxy S24 cases giving Android users the ability to enjoy the fast and stable charging effect of Magsafe/Qi2.
Magnetic strength and exact orientation can interfere with your smartphone if it’s too strong — certain Galaxy S23 Ultra cases disrupted S Pen performance last year — but if it’s too weak, it’ll just fall off the charger. i-Blason took extra care to avoid any potential interference with the S Pen or any other functions like NFC tap-to-pay.
It’s been a long two years of MagSafe cases and adapters slowly creeping into the Android market, from a smattering of Pixel 7 MagSafe cases to a tidy Galaxy S23 crop, abundant variety for the Google Pixel 8, and now a tidal wave of Galaxy S24 options. Those years of experimentation — and the experience of making MagSafe cases for Apple, too — have added up to consistently reliable MagSafe cases.
You don’t run into many cases with weak magnets anymore, and some brands like Rokform purposefully make almost freakishly strong MagSafe cases. Being able to swap from a charger to a grip to a car mount seamlessly has spoiled me against non-magnetic cases forever.
And while cases with MagSafe rings don’t mean a phone will get 15W from a MagSafe charger, backwards compatibility ensures all Qi2 — and most MagSafe — chargers will charge the Galaxy S24 at a steady speed. More importantly, it completely eliminates any chance of misalignment issues; once a MagSafe charger clings to the ring inside your case, it stays put.
This year’s MagSafe case crop positively exploded, with almost every well-known case brand bringing at least one MagSafe Galaxy S24 case to the party. Brands like dbrand and i-Blason finally brought MagSafe to their most iconic cases this generation, and those already offering MagSafe — Mous, Ringke, and UAG, for example — are stepping up their game with more diverse cases and more refined designs.
Qi2 will eventually bring convenience and consistency to Android accessories just as it has for iPhone, but while we’re in this home stretch of our multi-year wait, MagSafe cases are picking up the slack while offering a glimpse into this electrifying future today.
Source link
