Macworld
Not having to find the right cable or carry one around with you makes wireless charging a convenient way of charging your mobile devices—iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods and many third-party gadgets.
There are multiple wireless charging standards and technologies. Here we will explain the major ones—Qi,MagSafe,Qi2and the latestQi2 25W. Knowing which is which will help you to make your charging life more efficient. Here we look at Qi2 vs MagSafe and Qi2 25W vs Qi2 and Apple’s updated 2024 version of MagSafe. Which is best for your model of iPhone?
It’s a litle more nuanced, but in general, iPhones 16 and 17 should now charge wirelessly at up to 25W with supporting certified Qi 2.2 chargers. Older iPhones are limited to the 15W maximum if they support certified Apple MagSafe or Qi2. Chargers that are merely “MagSafe Compatible” are usually limited to 7.5W wireless charging. Note that the iPhone Air is limited to 20W wireless, the 16e to 7.5W and 17e to 15W.
iPhone wireless charging speeds in brief:
- iPhone 8-11 series and 16e:Qi 7.5W. 0-50% in around 90 minutes.
- iPhone 12-15 series and 17e:MagSafe 15WandQi2 15W. 0-50% in around 45 minutes.
- iPhone Air:20W Qi2. 0-50% in around 40 minutes.
- iPhone 16 and 16 Pro:MagSafe 22WandQi2.2 22W. 0-50% in around 35 minutes.
- iPhone 16 Plus, 16 Pro Max, 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max:MagSafe 25WandQi2.2 25W. 0-50% in around 30 minutes.
Don’t worry too much about the difference between 22W and 25W—the charging time difference will be marginal given environmental conditions such as room temperature will also make an impact.
How does wireless charging work?
Wireless charging uses electromagnetic induction to power your devices. The charging pad and your phone both include copper wire coils. Plug the pad into a power source and the charger’s coil generates a magnetic field. When you place your phone onto the charging pad, the phone’s coil converts that magnetic field into an electric current, thus charging the phone.
Apple pioneered improved magnetic connection between charger and phone with MagSafe, and it’s mainly the tighter magnetic fit that drives faster and faster wireless charging.
What is Qi2?
Qi2, supported by the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 families (except 16e) at launch and the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 as of iOS 17.2, speeds up wireless charging from 7.5W to 15W and makes chargers cheaper as well as more efficient. It is very like MagSafe, which is unsurprising as Apple allowed the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) to use MagSafe as the basis of Qi2.
In short, Qi2 brings the magnetic benefits of MagSafe, but also make third-party iPhone chargers faster and potentially cheaper. Manufacturers are more likely to create new products when the market is larger (iPhone and Android) and costs should come down, too.
In September 2024, however, Apple announced that the new version of its iPhone MagSafe Charger can wirelessly charge the iPhone 16 series at 22-25W. Older iPhones can use this charger but at a 15W maximum as before. Qi2 took its time catching up, but it has now: keep reading.
We have tested Qi2 chargers vs chargers certified as MagSafe by Apple, and can confirm that 15W Qi2 charges supporting devices at an equivalent speed to 15W MagSafe, and much faster than merely MagSafe-compatible 7.5W chargers. More details of our wireless charging speed tests below.
Belkin
What is Qi2 25W?
The latestQi2 25Wstandard (officially Qi 2.2) matches Apple’s 25W wireless charging speed. We have tested 25W chargers, including the Belkin 25W UltraCharge Pro 3-in-1 Magnetic Charging Dock, Ugreen MagFlow Power Bank, 25W Baseus PicoGo AM52 Power Bank and ESR’s 25W CryoBoost 3-in-1 Charging Station among others.
Samsung waited until its Galaxy S26 Ultra to jump on the fast magnetic wireless charging bandwagon with Qi2 25W, and Google was first out of the Android blocks with Qi2 25W compatibility with its Pixel 10 Pro XL. The lesser Google Pixel 10 Pro is pegged back at 15W Qi2. Google calls its version of Qi2 “PixelSnap”.
Wireless charging from Qi to Qi2.2
First, let’s look at the original Qi, which all iPhones post iPhone 8 support.
Foundry
What is Qi wireless charging?
Qi is a Chinese word that means “energy flow”. Pronounced “chee”, Qi is the basic and most popular wireless charging standard, launched in 2008 but not seen on an iPhone until 2017’s iPhone 8.
Note that plain Qi2 has little magnetic connection between phone and charger so is less efficient at transferring power as more is wasted depending on the placement of the phone on the charger. Better magnetic attachment and therefore faster charging arrived with MagSafe and Qi2.
Apple continues to support the Qi wireless charging standard with its most recent iPhones—and the iPhone 13 and later models are compatible with Qi2, more on which later.
This means that iPhones from the iPhone 8 onwards can be placed on a Qi-compatible charger to start charging without a cable. (Of course, the Qi charging pad or stand itself has to be connected via a cable to a power charger.)
While wireless charging means less wear and tear to your devices, it is not as efficient as charging via a cable (wired charging) as some of the energy is lost between the charging pad and the device placed on it.
Qi users will know that you have to ensure your device is placed in exactly the right alignment for fast wireless charging to take place.
Place the iPhone on the pad incorrectly and you end up either charging much more slowly or not at all.
Many of us have dropped a phone on a Qi charger only to find out later that it wasn’t in the right place and so annoyingly never started charging—a problem largely solved by Apple’s MagSafe.
While Qi’s maximum wireless charge is 15W, Apple’s iPhone supports only 7.5W via Qi.
Which iPhones use Qi?
Qi charging is built into the iPhone 8, X, XR, XS, SE, 11, 12, 13, and 14 families. The iPhone 15/16/17 work with Qi but are rated as Qi2; see later. The outlier is the curious iPhone 16e that goes all the way back to plain old Qi.
Foundry
What is MagSafe wireless charging?
Apple’s magnetic MagSafe iPhones contain a ring of magnets built around its Qi charging coil. As a result, you can magnetically clamp charging accessories onto the iPhone. In fact, you can magnetically attach non-charging accessories, such as wallets and mounts, too.
MagSafe—from 2020’s iPhone 12 on—makes missing the charging pad’s coils much less likely with its ring of magnets quickly finding the charging alignment sweet spot—on a compatible charger—so you will always connect and less energy is wasted.
Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) technology uses magnets to perfectly align the coils of the wireless charging transmitter and receiver before transferring power.
iPhones can work with wireless chargers that are either MagSafe certified by Apple (“made for MagSafe”) or are compatible with MagSafe—plus less sophisticated Qi chargers.
Certified MagSafe chargers can supplyup to 25Wto the iPhone, while merely MagSafe compatible chargers are limited to7.5W, but compatible chargers are usually cheaper. That 25W charging speed is currently limited to the iPhone 16 and 17 ranges and Apple’s own MagSafe Charger. iPhones 12/13/14/15 max out at 15W using MagSafe. The iPhone Air won’t charge faster than 20W wirelessly. In fact, the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro are pegged back at 22W, while the larger 16 Plus and 16 Pro Max support the while 25W. The 16e is out of the picture at just 7.5W and the 17e makes it to 15W.
(Note that the iPhone 12 mini only charges at 12W with MagSafe.)
We have tested the best MagSafe chargers for iPhones and the best MagSafe power banks for iPhones. This reviews roundup now also includes Qi2 chargers as they arrive to market.
Some thicker cases get in the way of MagSafe wireless charging so make sure your iPhone’s case is MagSafe compatible—see our roundup of the best iPhone 15 Cases, best iPhone 16 cases and best iPhone 17 cases.
Wireless charging is great, but it’s not as fast as wired charging. For truly fast iPhone charging, use a cable connected to at least a 20W USB-C charger. For the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 that means aUSB-C to USB-C cable; for older iPhones you’ll need aUSB-C to Lightning cable. A USB-A to Lightning cable won’t offer iPhone fast charging.
Somewhat confusingly, MagSafe is also the name for Apple’s wired-charging standard for its MacBooks—connecting the charging cable to the MacBook’s MagSafe port via magnets, meaning it is not only easy to connect but, if accidentally disconnected, it pops out rather than dragging your laptop to the floor. This version of MagSafe is magnetic and safe and has a charging connection for MacBooks but is not wireless. We explain the difference between MagSafe on Mac and MagSafe on iPhones in our Complete guide to Apple MagSafe: What is MagSafe?
Which iPhones use MagSafe?
MagSafe wireless charging is built into the iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 families, with the exception of the 16e.
Foundry
What is Qi2 wireless charging?
Qi2 (“chee too”) is the latest version of the Qi “energy flow” wireless charging standard.
Famed for its “Not Invented Here” strategy, Apple can be quite precious about adopting other technical standards. It has a long history of rejecting any idea that didn’t originate within Apple itself.
However, thankfully Apple has cooperated with the creation of Qi2 to the extent that in effect it gave the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) MagSafe to use as the basis for Qi2’s Magnetic Power Profile that defines how the new generation Qi works. Apple is a WPC “steering member” and chair of the board of directors.
So what is Qi2 and why is it so great?
Think of Qi2 as not just MagSafe for Android, but MagSafe benefits for all compatible wireless charging products.
Qi2 will mean chargers won’t have to be certified by Apple to support 15W charging. They should, however, meet the technical demands of the WPC. In short, a Qi2 charger will deliver twice as fast charging as MagSafe-compatible chargers.
As MagSafe certification costs manufacturers a fee to Apple, removing this should result in cheaper chargers that match Apple-certified chargers in terms of speed.
Which iPhones use Qi2?
Qi2 wireless charging is built into the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 families (except 16e). As of iOS 17.2, Apple brought the technology to all iPhone 13 and 14 models as well.
While Apple hasn’t stated that Qi2 support will reach the iPhone 12, the first iPhone to support MagSafe, Macworld readers have contacted us to say that Qi2 does indeed work with the iPhone 12 following the release of iOS 17.4. Tested with the Belkin BoostCharge Pro 2-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charging Pad with Qi2, an iPhone 12 charged up to 15W with the on-screen animation also displayed.
Simon Jary / Foundry
What is Qi2 25W wireless charging?
Qi2 25W is the latest version of the Qi “energy flow” wireless charging standard.
It started rolling out in wireless charging products from the mid-2025 and is now seen in many new wireless charging products.
So what is Qi2 25W and why is it so great?
Qi2 25W means chargers can support up to 25W wireless charging. They have to meet the technical demands of the WPC. In short, a Qi2 25W charger will deliver 10W more power than Qi2 and 3.3 times as fast charging as MagSafe-compatible chargers.
The use of a Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) provides better alignment but also reduces magnetic field leakage caused by misalignment. This minimizes the build-up of heat and ensures optimal charging efficiency. A ±0.5mm magnetic alignment precision improves charging efficiency by “up to 40%”, according to manufacturer Baseus.
Qi2 25W products also feature next-generation thermal regulation with stricter 40°C surface limits and enhanced coil layouts. This ensures that less energy is wasted and provides 15% better charging efficiency—even in motion or with slight misalignment.
Which iPhones use Qi2 25W?
Qi2 25W wireless charging will work with the iPhone 16 family and later (except the 16e and 17e). The iPhone Air supports Qi2 25W but only up to 20W, which is likely caused by the super-thin phone’s thermal management. The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro can make it to only 22W according to Apple,
For Qi2 25W to work at full 25W supporting iPhones must have installed at least iOS 26 or later.
Which is best MagSafe, Qi2 or Qi2 25W?
First, MagSafe, Qi2 and Qi2 25W are all better than plain Qi. Owing in large part to their magnetic connection, they are more efficient and definitely offer faster wireless charging than Qi.
For all extents and purposes, Qi2 looks pretty identical to MagSafe so iPhone 13/14/15 users can choose between MagSafe or Qi2 without fear. iPhone 16 and 17 owners, however, should look to MagSafe or Qi2 25W, as Apple’s own MagSafe Charger and soon Qi2 25W chargers can reach charging speeds of up to 25W when paired with the latest range of iPhones.
The fact that the iPhone 12 isn’t certified as Qi2 compatible demonstrates that Qi2 and MagSafe are not identical.
All should clamp chargers magnetically to the iPhone in the same way and allow for between 15W and 25W wireless charging.
Will Qi2 chargers work with MagSafe?
Although technically very similar, Apple is likely to still require MagSafe certification for non-Qi2 products to reach 15W wireless charging. Both the charger and the device must be certified for Qi2 for it to work at 15W, in the same way as MagSafe. However, it is likely that future MagSafe-certified products will also be certified for Qi2, and post iOS 17.2 all iPhones 13/14/15/16/17 will work natively with Qi2 chargers.
For consumers it’s a win-win as Qi2 and Qi2 25W means faster wireless charging will be brought to more devices and people. For product marketers it may be a bit of a labelling nightmare until all the chargeable devices catch up with the technology: expectMagSafe Compatible(7.5W),MagSafe(15W or 25W),Qi2 15W(15W) andQi2 25W(25W).
Is Qi2 as fast at wireless charging as MagSafe?
As the Wireless Power Consortium used Apple technology to build the Qi2 specification, it is true that Qi2 matches MagSafe for speed. Both can charge at up to 15W and use the largely same magnetic attachment tech. Note the 25W charging potential of the Apple MagSafe Charger and iPhone 16/17, plus the same charging speed from Qi2 25W.
The first Qi2 charger we tested and reviewed at Macworld was the Anker MagGo 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station. We tested its Qi2 wireless charging speed by charging an iPhone 15 Pro all the way to a 100% full charge, and taking timings at 30%, 50% and 80%. We did the same using a Apple’s own MagSafe Charger and also via a straight wired USB-C connection.
The fastest way to charge an iPhone is via a wired connection: USB-C to Lightning for iPhones older than the iPhone 15, and USB-C to USB-C for the iPhone 15 and later. The average wired-charging time in our tests was 25 minutes to 50%, 55 minutes to 80% and 70 minutes to 100%.
Our wireless charging tests for officially Apple-certified MagSafe chargers (using Apple’s own Wireless Charger) and for Qi2 magnetic wireless charging (using the Anker MagGo) had remarkably similar timings. There was some variance either way but also small differences using the same charger so we are confident that using these two magentic wireless charging technologies came up with the same basic results on average: 45 minutes to 50%, 90 minutes to 80% and 115 minutes to 100%.
In summary, then, MagSafe and Qi2 charging at 15W results in the same times and so can be considered equal—except for the 25W MagSafe potential of the iPhone 16/17–and the same from Qi2 25W now it is released. And, again as expected, merely MagSafe-compatible chargers took twice as long as the 15W chargers: 45 minutes to 30%, and 90 minutes to 50%.
Our tests demonstate that Qi2 25W will charges an iPhone 16 Pro from 0–50% in just over 30 minutes—manufacturers often claim 25 minutes but that is under clinical conditions. In Macworld’s real-world tests 32-34 minutes is the average. In comparison, a Qi2 15W charger generally takes about 45 minutes to reach the same level—this would work out as the 25W option being around 45% faster than the 15W chargers. Wireless charging depends on many factors, such as device settings, usage during charging, and ambient temperature.
Don’t concern yourself greatly about the 22W limit of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro. The 3% difference between that and 25W is marginal.
Why does phone charging speed slow down as the battery gets fuller?
Batteries charge slower the fuller they get, especially in the last 10–20% of charging. The fuller the battery is, the slower it absorbs energy.
To start with, a Lithium-Ion battery accepts whatever current it can, but as the battery gets closer to being full it accepts less current, and so the power being transferred tapers off.
Imagine you were filling up a glass with water. You can start with the faucet or tap at full blast, but as the glass gets fuller, you have to slow the flow down to avoid the water spilling over, until eventually just a trickle of water goes in as you try to get it right up to the brim.
If the battery didn’t charge this way and instead filled up at full blast till reaching 100%, it would get very hot and you’d risk damaging it to the point it might explode!
Slowing down the charge when the battery is getting closer to full also increases the number of charge cycles a battery can go through before it permanently loses capacity.
Taking advantage of this, if you need to charge quickly, stop at 80%, use the device for a while and then top back up to 80% before the charging speed starts to slow.
Ugreen
