It seems that the iPhone 12 now supports Qi2 wireless charging, seemingly because of the recent iOS 17.4 update released earlier this month. The Qi2 wireless charging support means that iPhone 12 owners can rejoice, as the device now supports up to 15W wireless charging without MagSafe. Notably, Apple hasn’t officially come forward to take credit, so whether it’s a surprise or a mistake from Cupertino remains unknown. Regardless, users with the iPhone 12 series — which debuted in 2020 — can now have their moment.
This comes from folks at MacWorld, who confirmed the Qi2 support on iPhone 12 citing “a series of tests and feedback” from the publication readers. For those unaware, Qi2 is inspired by Apple’s MagSafe and developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), and it boasts improved efficiency and magnetic alignment features. Apple provided the WPC with MagSafe specs to create Qi2’s Magnetic Power Profile, which defines how this new-generation Qi works. Similar to MagSafe, Qi2 supports 15W wireless charging, surpassing the previous 7.5W limit for third-party chargers.
Despite its roots in MagSafe, Qi2’s compatibility reports surprisingly excluded the iPhone 12, the first device to feature MagSafe wireless charging, which was surprising, but that’s not the case anymore.
Not much ago, in December, Apple enabled the Qi2 wireless charging on iPhone 13 and iPhone 14, with the iOS 17.2 update but missed the iPhone 12. Notably, the current iPhone 15 series has supported this technology since its inception.
The publication further added testing the iPhone 12 Pro, and it could charge at 15W with a Qi2 wireless charger. When connected to a Qi2 charger, the device could charge from 0 to 30% in 38 minutes and 50% in 70 minutes. Plus, it also shows an animation that indicates 15W charging is active, and the charging speed is comparable to the MagSafe.