Next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard embraces Apple's MagSafe

Re:Next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard embraces A... by chromakode on Tuesday January 03, 2023 @04:18PM (#34238208)

This is potentially fantastic news, if only to have a universal magnetic mounting standard across mobile devices. The past few years have seen an explosion of cool applications of magsafe:

- Corridor Digital made a multi-phone mounting rig for recording multi-focal-length slow-mo. Lots of interesting maker possibilities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8X16Gw3Qa4

- Peak Design has a line of mounts which combine magsafe and a physical locking mechanism for sports https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/mobile

- Continuity Camera mounts (for using your phone as a webcam) is a hacky but brilliant example of where a temporary magnetic mount is extremely useful

As an Android user, this ecosystem was opened up by a Peak Design case (which is compatible), but I hope to someday have a phone with built-in magnets, too. But it's not useful unless the magnets are compatible everywhere!

Science fiction writers have envisioned this for decades. I look forward to the future of finally being able to stick my phone to more things!

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Re:Next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard embraces A... by bergie on Tuesday January 03, 2023 @04:29PM (#34238346)

Earlier Google devices had magnets for Qi charging alignment. I think in the Nexus 4/Nexus 7 era. I had a Google Qi charger with strong enough magnets to hang the device on the wall.

And then in typical Google fashion, the concept was dropped in a year or two. Happy that Apple (and now the Qi consortium) picked it up.

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Re:Next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard embraces A... by moogly on Tuesday January 03, 2023 @05:00PM (#34238702)

Yes, Nexus 4 + the official charger had that.

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Re:Next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard embraces A... by 29083011397778 on Tuesday January 03, 2023 @06:52PM (#34239856)

So did the Nexus 5 - the magnets even aligned with Magsafe QI chargers!

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Re:Next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard embraces A... by Eric_WVGG on Tuesday January 03, 2023 @04:50PM (#34238597)

The one thing that’s been bugging me, and this updated standard fails to address, is that many devices that would benefit from wireless charging are too small for Qi and MagSafe (ex. bicycle lights, toothbrushes and grooming products, etc.)

A mini-Qi based on the Apple Watch charger, or a smaller ring of magnets inside with a compatible charging coil, would have been really outstanding… I feel like this standard is just another thing that will have to be revised in 3-5 years.

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Re:Next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard embraces A... by droopyEyelids on Tuesday January 03, 2023 @10:08PM (#34241506)

Sonicare toothbrushes will -almost- work with a qi charger. They’ll turn on and flash the charging symbol for a second

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