Tech Journalist Backs Qi2 After 1 Year, but 20W MagSafe Beats 15W Thin Android

Q: With Samsung lagging, which Android maker will first rival Apple’s magnetic charging?

Google looks best placed to rival Apple’s magnetic charging on Android. The key gap exposed by the year-long test was not wireless charging itself, but magnetic alignment. Apple’s iPhone Air worked because its magnets and 20W wireless charging made top-ups fast and foolproof. Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, by contrast, was limited to 15W and lacked built-in magnets, forcing careful placement and producing a much worse experience. Among Android brands, Google appears to be moving most directly toward Apple’s model. The searched material points to the Pixel 10 family introducing built-in Qi2-style magnetic charging under “PixelSnap,” with the Pixel 10 Pro XL reaching up to 25W on Qi2.2. That would give Google both of the ingredients that mattered most in the test: native magnets and faster wireless speeds. HMD has a claim to being the earliest Android brand with native Qi2 magnetic support through the Skyline, but it is a niche player rather than a broad flagship rival to Apple. Motorola is also emerging, with reports around the Edge 70 Max integrating Qi2.2 magnets, but Google’s wider flagship lineup makes it the stronger near-term challenger. Samsung is not out of the race, but it still appears to be relying too heavily on “Qi2 Ready” cases and accessories rather than fully integrated magnets in the phone. Until that changes across its mainstream flagships, Google is the Android maker most likely to match Apple’s seamless magnetic charging experience.

2 articles · Updated · MUO - MakeUseOf · Jul 17

A year of mostly wireless charging led one tech journalist to conclude Qi2 and MagSafe can handle most daily charging needs, even on thin phones with 3,149mAh and 3,900mAh batteries.
20W wireless charging on the iPhone Air proved the turning point: magnets enabled reliable alignment, a MagSafe battery pack stayed unobtrusive, and the phone reached 50% in 30 minutes.
15W wireless charging on the Galaxy S25 Edge undermined the same setup because it lacked internal magnets, charged noticeably slower, and often needed a case to align properly on pads.
Battery wear was less severe than expected after heavy wireless use: the iPhone Air still showed 100% capacity after about 10 months and 231 cycles, while the 13-month-old Galaxy S25 Edge returned a "good" diagnostic result.
The broader verdict was conditional rather than universal: wireless charging still does not replace cables entirely, but with fast Qi2 or MagSafe support it is now practical for most charging sessions.