Strong indications that the Google Pixel 9 might support the Qi2 wireless charging standard

At this point, just over a month after the Google Pixel 8 duo was revealed, any precise details about the Pixel 9 are just speculation. One thing the next-gen Google phone will (almost) certainly sport: Qi2 support.

In a press release, the Wireless Power Consortium (the organization behind the Qi wireless charging standard) announced that the first production Qi2s are now “completing” certification testing and that devices that support it charge will arrive on the market very soon (via 9to5Google).

On September 12, Apple held its Wonderlust event, during which (in a single sentence) the giant declared that the new iPhone 15 lineup supports Qi2.

“The Qi v2.0 standard consists of two profiles, the Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) which is based on the MagSafe technology brought by Apple to WPC and bearing the Qi2 logo, and an enhanced Extended Power Profile (EPP) of existing wireless charging. ) which does not include magnets but complies with the Qi v2.0 standard. The new Qi v2.0 EPP products will carry the existing Qi logo that consumers know and use today,” the release read. Press release of the WPC.

Qi2 will still provide 15W charging rates, but this should be faster in practice thanks to the use of magnets to perfectly align the coils.

Google is very likely to adopt the Qi2 standard for the Pixel 9 line, as Google’s Liyu Yang (senior hardware engineer and system technical lead at Google focused on wireless charging technology for Pixel phones) has joined the WPC as board member this month.

Of course, given that Google will likely introduce and launch the Pixel 9 devices in fall 2024, they may not be the first Android devices to adopt Qi2 technology. Soon, Samsung Galaxy S24 series is expected to debut; then we are waiting for new foldable Galaxy from Samsung; there is also the OnePlus 12.