OPINION : MagSafe is undoubtedly one of the cardinal merchandising points of the iPhone experience ; the magnetized attachment capability intend it ’s not only a breeze to bill your phone using a MagSafe courser , but it also makes it easier to tail your iPhone in a car , impound it to camera accessories and much more .

It ’s why , as a primarily Android drug user over the past few old age , I was so aroused when Apple connect forces with theWireless Power Consortiumto work on theQi2standard – fundamentally an open - source interpretation of Apple ’s proprietary tech with many of the same benefits , include accompaniment for magnetic accessories , forAndroid phones .

This is n’t just good news for Android owner want to emulate the iPhone experience , but it also puts Android and iOS accessories on a level performing field – and that arrive at for a rather decent change compare to the fractured way the accessory market has operated until now .

The reveal of the Qi2 charging standard descend at CES in January 2023 , and of course , it assume manufacturers prison term to put through unexampled technical school into their smartphones . However , I ’d have hoped we ’d be a little further down this road by this point in prison term . The identification number of Android phones that natively support Qi2 in later 2024 ? That ’d be a big fat zero .

Instead , as exemplify by a Samsung Galaxy S25 rumourthis calendar week , Android manufacturers are seemingly half - assing the Qi2 consolidation .

Despiterumours at one timesuggesting that Samsung was going all - in on Qi2 integration with the launch of the 2025 Galaxy S25 range , leaks this calendar week apparently confirm that the company has dialled back on its plans , instead offering a range of S25 cause with build - in attracter that ’ll allow for compatibility with MagSafe accessories .

It ’s a monumental whole tone back from in full integrate the entourage of attractor directly into the flesh of the Galaxy S25 , as is the case with every iPhone since theiPhone 12 , and basically pull owners into using an ( assumingly bulky ) example if they need to , say , magnetically dock their S25 when in a car .

It might be a personal affair , but I hate using cases on smartphones ; manufacturer ferment very hard to make the phones await and sense as courteous as possible , and to enshroud that behind a ( normally chintzy plastic ) case seems a bit of a pity . However , if I want to employ my MagSafe battery charger with my Galaxy S25 , it ’s something I ’ll be forced to do .

Now , this is n’t an outcome exclusive to Samsung and its upcoming flagship smartphone collection ; Taiwanese smartphone maker Oppo also offers a interchangeable charismatic case system with its flagshipOppo discovery X8 professional , and as a subsidiary company of Oppo , it should fare as no surprisal that OnePlus ’ latest flagship also offers the tech in the form of a case – in China , anyway .

The only potential hang - up in adoption , for some manufacturer at least , could be competing proprietary tuner charging technical school . Take Oppo for example ; the Find X8 Pro can commove wirelessly at 50W , over triple the 15W regular Qi charging provides , even if you do require a proprietary wireless charger to reach such rapid speeds .

For brands like Oppo , dropping from 50W to 15W to simply add a few attraction might not seem worth the trade wind - off , even if I personally feel that ripe accessory sustenance trumps fast wireless charging – in the main when most flagship offer rapid wired charge tech for a truly libertine charge experience .

Even if companies are n’t take in proprietary wireless charging systems , the maximum 15W output of the Qi2 banner might not be fast enough to warrant upending the internals of their smartphones .

The Samsung Galaxy S24 , for example , already offer 15W Qi wireless charging . It may well be that Samsung and co. are wait for the inevitable Qi3 standard to ship , potentially with faster wireless charge performance , to make it more worthwhile – especially as the contend MagSafe tech can charge at up to 25W.

Do n’t get me wrong ; designing smartphones is a massive challenge with an ever - develop number of components on the face of it jammed into the chassis of modern flagship smartphones , and that means infinite comes atquitea exchange premium . Why use space on magnets when that could be filled by a more or less larger barrage or better camera tech ?

I can only hope that , with advancements in technology that allow for thin , denser battery and even smaller components , we could commence seeing true Qi2 integration in 2025 smartphones , but I wo n’t be holding my breath – and that ’s a massive shame .