X

iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Reportedly Getting Better Wireless Charging in iOS 17.2

The upcoming iOS 17.2 update is reportedly adding support for Qi2 wireless charging.

David Lumb Mobile Reporter
David Lumb is a mobile reporter covering how on-the-go gadgets like phones, tablets and smartwatches change our lives. Over the last decade, he's reviewed phones for TechRadar as well as covered tech, gaming, and culture for Engadget, Popular Mechanics, NBC Asian America, Increment, Fast Company and others. As a true Californian, he lives for coffee, beaches and burritos.
Expertise smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, telecom industry, mobile semiconductors, mobile gaming
David Lumb
2 min read
An iPhone recharging with a MagSafe charger on the back.
Apple

The upcoming iOS 17.2 update already brings several important features to Apple's phones, like the new Journal app and using your Live Stickers to react in messages. Now, a report says you can add faster wireless charging for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 to that list. 

The update will bring Qi2 wireless charging to Apple's previous-generation phones, 9to5Mac reported Tuesday. Qi is a standard for wireless charging that device manufacturers implement in their devices. The iPhone 15 was the first model from Apple to support the new Qi2 standard at launch. 

Apple didn't respond to a request for comment.

The second Qi standard has a 15-watt speed maximum. While first-generation Qi chargers that work with iOS and Android phones have been capable of reaching that rate, most of the chargers have been released with 7.5- or 10-watt caps. That hasn't mattered until recently, as older phones had only been capable of wirelessly charging at 5 or 10 watts. 

The Qi2 standard adds magnetic charging based on Apple's MagSafe technology, though it'll conceivably be available for device makers to create chargers that juice up both iOS and Android phones. Ultimately, this should allow the iPhone 13, iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 to connect to and wirelessly recharge using third-party Qi2 chargers. 

Qi2 charging devices will start hitting store shelves in time for the holiday season, according to the Wireless Power Consortium's press release announcing the new standard. Belkin, Mophie, Anker and Aircharge are set to release Qi2 products.

Apple hasn't revealed exactly when iOS 17.2 will be available to download, though it's expected to be available in the next week or two. The update adds the long-awaited Journal app that Apple revealed at WWDC in June, spatial video recording for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max (which can be viewed with the Apple Vision Pro headset) and many other small but meaningful improvements.

Read more: iOS 17.2: The Journal App and More Are Almost Here