Samsung Galaxy S25 smartphone may get an update that users have been waiting for for years

Samsung Galaxy S25 could be the first Android phone to feature Qi2 wireless charging.

Samsung could introduce Qi2 wireless charging to the Galaxy S25 when it launches early next year, — making it the first major Android phone to offer the magnetic upgrade. Tom's Guide writes about it.

Qi2 — it is, simply put, an open version of Apple's MagSafe. Although they are not completely identical, they offer many of the same advantages when compared to the existing first generation of Qi wireless charging. Although Qi2 has struggled to gain traction in the two years since its announcement, its addition to the Samsung Galaxy S25 could make the technology popular.

Qi2 was first announced almost two years ago at CES 2023, and it means a new standard for Android phones. It was the prospect of MagSafe-style wireless charging on something other than the best iPhones, and all the tangible benefits that brings. Unfortunately, this announcement was only an announcement of what was to come. Qi2 wasn't ready at the time, and it took a full year before the standard was officially finalized.

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Until that process was complete, phone makers couldn't actually incorporate it into their devices. Unfortunately, the standard's completion didn't do much good either, as only one Qi2-enabled Android phone was released in 2024 — the HMD Skyline.

Phones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 or OnePlus 12 were released too early to even consider enabling Qi2. But it often feels like phone makers that released them later in the year had a much better chance of doing so.

Google's antics proved that Qi2 still needs someone to kick things off and give Qi2 a boost. Phone companies are not without imagination, and once one well-known competitor starts offering a feature, they'll all be eager to jump on the bandwagon.

Apple is often one of the companies most copied, but in this case, it doesn't seem to be working. Samsung is the largest Android phone maker outside of the Chinese market, and adding Qi2 to the Galaxy S25 would be the next best thing to spurring imitators.

Qi2 offers a host of benefits

The biggest benefit of Qi2 is its overall improvement in wireless charging. The magnetic ring ensures that the charger and the phone's wireless charging coils are perfectly aligned every time you charge.

Better alignment means a more efficient charging process and less energy wasted as heat. This is better for your phone and your electric bill, and it also reduces charging time.

Qi2 also increases the maximum charging speed from 7.5W to 15W, which was already on the iPhone. It's not the fastest wireless charging in the world, especially on flagship phones. But that means those speeds are available on all Qi2-compatible chargers and devices, — without the need to use a potentially expensive proprietary charger designed specifically for the phone.

It goes without saying that the faster the charging speed, the easier it will be to keep your phone charged and ready to use at any time.

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Qi2 also offers adaptive charging rather than a fixed power output, which will be better for the battery. Chargers will also offer better thermal management and foreign object detection, which improves security.

Magnets also mean a lot more options for accessories. There have already been a ton of MagSafe-compatible products available to iPhone users. The most common are charging stands, but you can also buy magnetic grips, tripods, wallets, car mounts, and more.

But it all depends on whether or not carriers actually integrate the new technology into their phones.

Qi2 has a lot of potential, but right now Android phones can't experience any of it. Meanwhile, Apple has had MagSafe for 4 years, and users can reap the benefits every day. The magnetic charging trend won't happen until one of the big brands jumps on board.

Samsung is the perfect company to help make it happen. Not only is it a big, established brand, but it also makes some of the best Android phones around. It has great cameras, great performance, and great battery life — all in a very beautiful phone.

Qi2 — isn’t the biggest selling point, and it certainly won’t overshadow any of those benefits, but it’s one more reason to buy the Galaxy S25 over its competitors. And if it does, Samsung’s biggest rivals will likely follow suit to keep up.

That’s assuming the rumors are true, of course. We won’t know for sure until the next Galaxy Unpacked event, which is rumored to be on January 23. For now, we’ll just have to be patient and hope Samsung makes a smart decision. As useful as MagSafe-style cases are for non-magnetic phones, the sooner you stop relying on them, the better.