Gadget Weekly
Be a part of Namerah Saud Fatmi as she explores the cool, quirky, and generally downright odd world of smartphone equipment, devices, and different nerdy toys each week.
We’re just a few weeks shy of the Galaxy Unpacked 2025 occasion, the place the S25 lineup is scheduled to make its debut. Forward of the launch, the World Energy Consortium (WPC) has all however confirmed what we had all been suspecting for months now. Samsung could be very seemingly going to be one of many first main Android cellphone manufacturers to undertake the Qi2 spec, and I consider it will play a pivotal position within the trade.
In mid-December, a number of rumors and leaks hinted that the Galaxy S25 will help Qi2 wi-fi charging, however not in the best way you’d anticipate. Allegedly, Samsung will use a magnetic case to allow the magnetic facet of Qi2 as a substitute of including magnets natively to the S25 sequence. Primarily based on the WPC’s CES 2025 announcement and the OnePlus 13 launch, we are able to assume that that is correct.
Samsung and the WPC made a joint assertion the place the Korean cellphone maker stated the next:
You’ll be able to anticipate to see Android gadgets supporting Qi2 from Samsung Galaxy gadgets in 2025.
Google additionally made an identical assertion beneath the identical press launch, however no guarantees have been manufactured from Pixel gadgets choosing up the usual. As a substitute, the Alphabet-owned tech large vowed to carry Qi2 to extra Android gadgets this 12 months.
Whereas HMD World’s HMD Skyline is technically the primary Qi2 Android cellphone, it did not make any waves within the Android house. Because of this I really feel that the Galaxy S25 coming with Qi2 help — with or with out magnets — is what is going on to actually get the Qi2 ball rolling. In any case, Samsung sells extra smartphones than some other cellphone producer on the earth and will simply affect the remaining to comply with swimsuit.
We’ve got been ready for Qi2 to take off for practically two years now. The usual has formally been prepared since early 2023, however most gadgets that use it are both iPhones or equipment like energy banks and chargers. Each Samsung and Google have been anticipated to take the lead with the Galaxy S24 and Pixel 9 lineups final 12 months, however that did not occur.
Now that the OnePlus 13 has adopted magnetic charging (kind of), Samsung will look very dangerous if it would not hop on board the Qi2 prepare. Similar to the rumored S25 magnetic case, OnePlus additionally selected to depend on magnetic circumstances to carry Qi2-like charging to the OnePlus 13. Primarily based on rumors, Samsung goes to do the identical with the S25 sequence. Even then, this is a vital step in the suitable route.
Main adjustments within the cellphone trade have by no means come about in a single day or transitioned easily. Simply have a look at the headphone jack, for instance. Individuals ridiculed the concept at first and have been indignant as soon as the three.5mm port was eradicated from well-liked Android telephones. However as soon as bigwigs like Samsung began ditching the audio jack, everybody else adopted swimsuit.
Positive, many manufacturers compensated customers with USB-C to audio jack converters at first, however the world finally tailored to the change. Wi-fi audio equipment are way more well-liked now and the headphone jack is not missed by most customers.
That is precisely why Qi2 adoption on the Galaxy S25 can be so necessary. When essentially the most outstanding Android model makes daring strikes, everybody else will certainly really feel the necessity to comply with the development, both to remain related or to be extra aggressive. There are literally thousands of Qi2 equipment available, so the market is primed for the Qi2 revolution that Samsung is probably going about to kickstart when the Galaxy S25 launches.
