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Qi2 charging may come to the Galaxy S25, but not how we expected

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A person holding the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Native support for the Qi2 wireless charging standard is currently limited to only a few handsets on the market, none of which are produced by Samsung. However, this could change in the coming weeks with the anticipated arrival of the Galaxy S25 series — though perhaps not in the expected way.

According to a new report from Finnish-based Suomimobiili, the Galaxy S25 series handsets will support Qi2 wireless charging, but only with a new magnet case that Samsung is reportedly producing. This would mark the first time the company has created a case like this for its flagship phones.

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Samsung previously cautioned that magnetic cases could interfere with the functionality of its S Pen. If this report is accurate, Samsung seems to have found a solution to eliminate that interference. The current Galaxy S24 Ultra works with and ships with the S Pen.

Interestingly, another report earlier this week indicated that the Galaxy S25 series would include native support for Qi2 wireless charging.

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced the new Qi2 wireless standard at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). This standard aims to unify the mobile industry by providing a global standard that enhances convenience and efficiency for mobile devices and wearables. The Qi2 wireless standard offers faster charging, better efficiency, and more versatility than Qi. It is also backward compatible with all existing Qi-certified devices, allowing for usage of older chargers with new phones.

Since Qi2 was announced, we have not seen any Android-based phones provide native support for Qi2. Instead, devices like the recently launched OnePlus 13 and Oppo Find X8 Pro have turned to magnetic cases for support, as they do not have native Qi2 functionality. By contrast, Apple’s iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 series both support native Qi2.

I would be surprised if Samsung does not announce native Qi2 support with its upcoming flagship phones, especially since Apple has included this feature in its last two iPhone lineups. The Qi2 standard has been available for nearly two years, and if any company on the Android side is likely to adopt it first, it would be Samsung.

The Galaxy S25 series is expected to be announced as early as January 22. Similar to past releases like the Galaxy S24 series, the lineup is likely to include a regular Galaxy S25, the Galaxy S25 Plus, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe
Former Mobile and A/V Freelancer
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
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