Anker was one of the first companies to announce Qi2 chargers<\/a>, in August 2023, and while everyone<\/a> in the world seems to be launching them<\/a> now, Anker\u2019s are the first I\u2019ve gotten my hands on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n For iPhone users, Qi2 is an easy sell already: with a compatible iPhone, it\u2019s less expensive than certified MagSafe chargers and just as fast. It\u2019s less compelling so far for Android users or mixed-platform households, though \u2014 it\u2019s slower than regular Qi charging on non-certified devices. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n I have spent a couple weeks with three Anker Qi2 devices, all of which are available today: the $109.99 MagGo Wireless Charging Station (Foldable 3-in-1), the $69.99 MagGo Power Bank (6,600mAh capacity), and the $99.99 MagGo Magnetic Charging Station (8-in-1), popularly known as the Orb. All three charge at the rate they\u2019re supposed to, hold the iPhone at least as firmly as real MagSafe, and look pretty good. And they\u2019re less expensive than MagSafe-certified chargers; the orb and power bank don\u2019t have direct competition, but the three-in-one charger is about $40 less than the going rate for MagSafe-certified three-in-ones.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Qi2 (properly Qi v2.0 MPP, for Magnetic Power Profile) is a new magnetic wireless charging standard<\/a> that can charge compatible devices at up to 15W. Like Apple\u2019s MagSafe, it uses rings of magnets in both device and charger to ensure proper alignment of the charging coils, and it\u2019s based on the Qi wireless charging standard that\u2019s used by nearly every device that offers wireless charging. In fact, Apple contributed the magnetic power profile technology<\/a> to the new standard. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Unlike MagSafe, Qi2 isn\u2019t proprietary. It\u2019s administered by the Wireless Power Consortium, and although devices need to be Qi2-certified, they don\u2019t require special Apple hardware or MFi certification, which means they\u2019re less expensive to produce. As of iOS 17.2, the iPhone 13, 14, and 15 are Qi2-certified and can charge just as fast from a Qi2 charger as they can from a MagSafe-certified charger; on all other wireless chargers, iPhones are limited to 7.5W maximum.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Because Qi2 is an open standard, it can be integrated into Android phones and other devices. Most Android phones top out at around 10W with standard Qi chargers, though some (like Samsung Galaxy phones and Google Pixels) can charge faster with proprietary\u00a0wireless charging stands. In the near future, households with Android and iPhones should be able to share the same magnetic chargers and accessories and get the same charge rates. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The MagGo Power Bank is a lot bulkier than its 6,600mAh capacity would indicate. It\u2019s more of a portable charging stand than the type of thing you\u2019d slap on the back of your phone when you\u2019re on the go. At 266g, it\u2019s 55g heavier than my iPhone 14 Pro and over 100g heavier than the 5,000mAh Anker 622 magnetic battery<\/a> I own. But its hinge is a lot sturdier than the floppy kickstand on the 622 battery, it recharges your phone twice as fast, and it supports passthrough charging. If you plug it into the wall when the battery\u2019s full, it charges the phone at full speed; if the battery\u2019s empty, it charges both at about the same rate. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n I do not know why Anker made its Qi2 folding three-in-one charging station look just like its Qi2 folding power bank. I keep mixing them up. Regardless, this thing is neat. The Apple Watch puck flips out from the base, so it\u2019s not always hanging out if you don\u2019t have an Apple Watch, and the Qi2 stand angle can keep its position anywhere from about 15 to 85 degrees. Opening the stand reveals the 5W Qi charger inside, which is perfect for charging AirPods or other wireless earbuds. It\u2019s thick, like the power bank, but at least its shape makes it a little easier to take on the go than the MagSafe-certified 3-in-1 Cube<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The three-in-one comes with a 40W AC adapter; according to the specs, it can output up to 15W via Qi2 and 5W each from the Apple Watch and Qi chargers. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Anker MagGo Magnetic Charging Station 8-in-1, aka the Orb, is $99.99 \u2014 about $30 more than the regular magnetic Qi version<\/a>. It has two USB-A ports and two USB-C ports and can support up to 67W total power output, including up to 15W from the Qi2 charger (it can support a lot more through its three AC outlets). You can get a real desk octopus going here, or replace an entire power strip\u2019s worth of chargers. Ponder that, if you will. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Anker is also announcing:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Up to 15W with Qi2-certified iPhones: <\/strong>From my limited testing, all three Qi2 chargers seem to charge my iPhone 14 Pro at up to 15W, just like an Apple MagSafe charger. Apple and charger manufacturers always say \u201cup to 15W\u201d because the iPhone won\u2019t always use all that power. It\u2019ll hit 15W for a bit if the battery is particularly low, then drop the rate as it fills up or if the phone gets too hot. In my experience, that mostly meant charge rates of about 12 or 13W.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Up to 7.5W with non-certified iPhones: <\/strong>The iPhone 13 and 14 series became Qi2 compatible with iOS 17.2<\/a>. My spouse\u2019s iPhone 14 Pro, which was still on iOS 17.1, topped out at 7.5W \u2014 the maximum rate for Qi v1 wireless charging, magnetic or otherwise \u2014 until I updated the software. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Up to 5W with Qi v1 devices: <\/strong>I also tested the folding three-in-one charger with a Samsung Galaxy S22. The S22 can charge at up to 10W with a standard Qi charger \u2014 or a MagSafe-compatible charger like the Anker 313 charging pad<\/a> \u2014 but maxed out at 5W with Qi2. So if you\u2019re someone, like my editor Dan Seifert, who slaps magnetic rings on the backs of Android phones so you can use magnetic Qi accessories, you don\u2019t need to rush to upgrade to Qi2 just yet. <\/p>\n<\/div>\nWhat is Qi2?<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
MagGo Power Bank<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
MagGo Wireless Charging Station (Foldable 3-in-1)<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
The Orb<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
The rest of the lineup<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Qi2 charge rates tested<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n