Wi-fi Energy Consortium (WPC) introduced the Qi2 wi-fi charging customary in January 2023 and launched it in April of the identical 12 months. HMD Skyline is the primary (and solely) Android smartphone to have Qi2 assist. Whereas many anticipated Google’s Pixel 9 smartphones to have it too, that is not the case.
The Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Professional, and Pixel 9 Professional XL assist the outdated Qi customary. Which means whereas these telephones can cost wirelessly as much as 23W with the Pixel Stand, they will solely go as much as 12W with a appropriate Qi-certified EPP wi-fi charger as a substitute of the 15W supported by Qi2. No Qi2 additionally means you can not use MagSafe-like magnetic equipment with the non-folding Pixel 9 telephones.
Google Pixel 9 • Google Pixel 9 Professional • Google Pixel 9 Professional XL
The parents at Android Authority requested Google why they skipped Qi2 assist on this Pixel 9 trio, and Google stated that “the older Qi protocol was extra available available on the market and that there aren’t any tangible advantages to switching to Qi2.”
The most important good thing about Qi2 is improved charging charges and decreased power loss, achieved by means of higher alignment between chargers and units. Here is hoping the Pixel 10 sequence – and the upcoming flagships from different manufacturers – can have Qi2 assist. Till then, the HMD Skyline is the one possibility on the Android aspect. You possibly can learn our HMD Skyline evaluate to study extra about it. We even have a video evaluate hooked up under.