This is important because, while we MagSafe lovers do with MagSafe Android phone cases in recent years, there has always been the caveat that these cases might not work all MagSafe products. With Qi2 Ready cases, you can rest easy knowing they'll work with Qi2 chargers.
It is worth noting that OnePlus' latest flagship phone, the OnePlus 13is no a Qi2 Ready phone, however, OnePlus is selling a magnetic case to enable Like Qi2 charging. It's the old strategy of adding magnetic charging to phones with basic Qi support, and this mood do not turn your phone into a Qi2 device. While it may be similar, you may not enjoy faster charging speeds, it won't be as energy efficient, and it's not guaranteed to work with all Qi2 accessories. Golden says Qi2 Ready phones have “special features built into them” to enable proper Qi2 functionality when paired with a Qi2 Ready case.
Alas, the moment you remove this Qi2 Ready case from the phone, the magnetic functionality is lost. This may not be a problem for most people. Recent statistics are hard to find, but a 2023 YouGov survey found that approx 68 percent of Americans use a phone caseand a 2017 study put that number at 79 percent. But it stinks for those of us who don't like to use a case. Pour one for the caseless fiends.
I remember dozens of times when I had to remove my iPhone case to attach a wireless microphone to the USB-C port or to fit the phone on a gimbal. Removing the case doesn't change anything because iPhones have magnets built in, but that's something mood effect on Qi2 Ready phones, and this is a frustrating limitation.
I think Qi2 Ready phones are an acceptable in-between measure. Considering it's cheaper than embedding magnets in a phone, I hope it means more budget and midrange smartphones can enjoy the capabilities of Qi2.
However, I worry that this will make things confusing for the average person. The new phones will support Qi but not Qi2, but they will have Qi2 Ready cases to enable Qi2—my brain hurts writing that. If only they had native Qi2 support, magnetic charging would work all the time with any Qi2 accessory. Easy peasy.
The good news is that Samsung and Google have promised to release official Qi2 Android phones in 2025, so is along the way, although it feels strange that Samsung may not end up debuting its flagship smartphone series.
I'm going to make a magnetic case (again), but for the love of God, can someone give me my magnetic Android already?
