For years, Apple has shaped the wireless charging experience around its own ecosystem, keeping faster speeds behind proprietary hardware. With the iPhone 15's expected support for the Qi2 standard — itself born from Apple's MagSafe technology — that boundary is quietly shifting. By opening faster wireless charging to third-party manufacturers at a fraction of the cost, Apple may be signaling that controlled openness, not pure lock-in, is the next chapter of its accessory story.
iPhone 15 to Support Qi2 Wireless Charging at 15W Speeds Alongside MagSafe
cheaper alternatives should follow
Mark
So Apple is letting other companies make chargers that work as fast as its own MagSafe chargers?
Mimi
Not exactly letting—the Qi2 standard is based on MagSafe, but it's an open standard now. Third-party makers can build chargers without paying Apple or getting Apple's approval.
Luke
But Apple still controls the underlying technology, right? Qi2 is based on MagSafe, which Apple created.
Mimi
True. But the point is that manufacturers don't have to license Apple's module anymore. They can build their own Qi2 modules for a fraction of the cost.
Mark
How much cheaper are we talking?
Mimi
Apple's MagSafe module costs about $16 wholesale. Qi2 modules cost less than a third of that—so under $5.
Luke
And we know this how? One source—ChargerLAB—confirmed it through supply chain contacts. That's not independently verified.
Mimi
Fair point. But ChargerLAB has been right about Apple charging details before. They have a track record.
Mark
When will people actually be able to buy these chargers?
Mimi
The Wireless Power Consortium expects Qi2-certified chargers by the 2023 holiday season. So late fall, if the timeline holds.
Luke
"Expects" is doing a lot of work there. That's not a guarantee.
Mimi
No, it's not. But it's the official timeline from the standards body.
Mark
And this all launches with iPhone 15 in September?
Mimi
iPhone 15 will support both MagSafe and Qi2. So you'll have options either way.
Der Puls
- Apple has long held a quiet monopoly on fast iPhone wireless charging, with third-party chargers capped at half the speed of its own MagSafe hardware.
- The arrival of Qi2 — a standard built on MagSafe's own magnetic foundation but costing manufacturers less than a third of Apple's module price — threatens to break that stranglehold open.
- Supply chain sources with a credible track record confirm iPhone 15 and 15 Pro will support Qi2, giving the report unusual weight ahead of Apple's September announcement.
- The first Qi2-certified chargers are racing toward shelves in time for the 2023 holiday season, with manufacturers no longer needing Apple's costly certification to hit MagSafe speeds.
- MagSafe isn't going away — both standards will live side by side on the new phones — but competition may finally enter a market Apple has dominated through hardware design alone.
For years, Apple has shaped the wireless charging experience around its own ecosystem, keeping faster speeds behind proprietary hardware. With the iPhone 15's expected support for the Qi2 standard — itself born from Apple's MagSafe technology — that boundary is quietly shifting. By opening faster wireless charging to third-party manufacturers at a fraction of the cost, Apple may be signaling that controlled openness, not pure lock-in, is the next chapter of its accessory story.
Apple's iPhone 15 is expected to support Qi2, a new wireless charging standard built on the same magnetic foundation as MagSafe — and the implications for the accessory market are significant. According to ChargerLAB, a source with a reliable history of accurate Apple charging leaks, both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro will be compatible with the emerging standard, which delivers up to 15W of charging speed — double what current third-party wireless chargers can manage.
The economics are what make this disruptive. Apple's MagSafe module costs manufacturers around $16 wholesale. A Qi2 module runs less than one-third of that. For years, that price gap kept faster wireless charging firmly inside Apple's ecosystem, with third-party makers locked out of MagSafe speeds unless they paid for Apple's certification. Qi2 removes that barrier, and the Wireless Power Consortium expects the first certified chargers to hit stores by the 2023 holiday season.
Apple isn't walking away from MagSafe — both standards will coexist on the new phones, preserving the existing accessory ecosystem while opening the door to cheaper alternatives. For consumers, that means genuine choice. For the accessory industry, it means the first real competition in a space Apple has shaped almost entirely on its own terms. Whether that promise holds will depend on what actually reaches shelves when the iPhone 15 launches in September.
Apple's next generation of iPhones will open a door that the company has largely kept closed: support for wireless chargers made by other manufacturers at speeds that rival its own. According to ChargerLAB, a source with a track record of accurate reporting on Apple's charging technology, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro will work with the new Qi2 wireless charging standard, which is built on the foundation of Apple's MagSafe technology.
The shift matters because it represents a crack in Apple's control over the iPhone charging experience. Currently, if you want to wirelessly charge an iPhone at faster speeds, you need Apple's MagSafe Charger. Third-party wireless chargers max out at 7.5W. Qi2 chargers will deliver up to 15W—double that speed—without requiring Apple's proprietary hardware. The Wireless Power Consortium, which oversees the Qi standard, expects the first Qi2-certified chargers to reach stores in time for the 2023 holiday shopping season.
What makes this possible is the economics of the standard itself. ChargerLAB has confirmed through supply chain sources that Apple's MagSafe module costs manufacturers about $16 wholesale. A Qi2 module, by contrast, costs less than one-third that amount. That price difference could reshape the third-party charger market. Manufacturers won't need Apple's expensive certification or its "Made for iPhone" program to build chargers that work at MagSafe speeds. Cheaper alternatives should follow.
ChargerLAB and its Chinese counterpart Chongdiantou have built credibility on charging details over time, leaking accurate information about future iPhones and Apple power adapters before official announcements. The websites appear to be behind an earlier report this week that iPhone 15 models would support 15W charging from third-party sources—a detail that now has more weight behind it.
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 15 lineup in September. The company is not abandoning MagSafe; both standards will coexist on the new phones. For users, that means choice. For the accessory market, it means competition may finally arrive in a space Apple has dominated through hardware lock-in. The real test will come when those first Qi2 chargers actually ship and users see whether the promise of affordable, fast wireless charging holds up in practice.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Qi2 chargers do not need to use Apple's MagSafe module and are not required to be certified under Apple's 'Made for iPhone' program— ChargerLAB
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