Seriously, don't we have more Android phones with Qi2?

Qi2 magnets have been a love-hate relationship since the Pixel 10 launched last year – I love using them, but I hate that the Pixel 10 is somehow the only Android phone to have them. It’s crazy to me that no other Android brand has taken this feature seriously and we still have no word on this change.

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The magnetic Qi2 standard was announced in early 2023, more than three years ago, with the promise of bringing the idea behind Apple MagSafe to the industry as a whole.

Three years later, Android brands are still ignoring it.

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Google’s Pixel 10 series was the first real implementation of Qi2 from Android, and it was pretty cool. Being able to use the Pixel 10 not only with Google’s ‘Pixelsnap’ accessories, but with many other Qi2 and MagSafe accessories really makes for an Android experience you can’t get anywhere else. No matter how you use the device, no matter what situation you use it in, it all works.

And then there’s everyone else.

Most major Android brands haven’t even adopted Qi2, and for those that have, there hasn’t been real adoption. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 series is the second year the company has ignored this standard, this time in favor of thinner devices instead of last year’s “customers don’t demand it” excuse. Samsung is ignoring the bigger picture, but we’ve talked about that before.

What kills me is that the industry isn’t moving in that direction anyway, regardless of the Android brands coming on board.

The vast majority of new wireless chargers include Qi2, and there are many new accessories such as battery banks and more that are adopting the standard en masse. Meanwhile, there are four Android phones that support it natively — a fifth, the HMD Skyline, ended software support late last year, and Clicks Communicator won’t be out until later this year.

*One is objectively a better experience than the other*

“But you could just use a case.”

i know we all know. But the problem with Android phones not accepting Qi2 isn’t just the ability to use it without a case. Phones that don’t upgrade to Qi2 at all – a large number of phones still use Qi 1.3.3 – miss out on the faster charging speeds we’ve seen and rely on the case manufacturer to get the right compatibility. If nothing else, “Qi2 Ready” at least sets case makers up for success with proper compatibility and Qi2 support.

It also shows that brands are not taking this industry shift seriously. For crying out loud, Samsung phones still can’t use Qi2 accessories properly because Samsung refuses to change its design.

We’ve talked about it a lot over the past few years, but every time I pass my desk to review a new battery bank – stay tuned, a good one is dropping this month – or a Qi2 accessory, I’m reminded of this issue and, frankly, I’m sick of it.

Qi2 magnets are the world’s original and practical smartphone upgrade, whether you use wireless charging or not. each new smartphone generation is less advanced than the previous one – it’s really crazy to me that such an obvious victory is constantly being ignored by essentially everyone.

Apple already treats Android phones as ancientand this stubborn ignorance of Qi2 doesn’t help.

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