There's one convenient feature that Apple devices have had for a long time, and that's MagSafe. I'm not one to think that Android has to copy everything its biggest competitor does, but when the feature makes sense and can be replicated, I'm all for it. Tech companies “borrow” from each other all the time.
Since the Qi2 standard exists, Android brands don't even need to figure things out on their own, but for some reason, there's been so little magnetic Qi2 adoption among Android OEMs. However, a recent leak says that one big smartphone company will finally take the plunge later this year (and hopefully open the floodgates). Let's talk about it.
The Google Pixel 10 Series Could Come With Magnetic Qi2 Support
The Qi2 standard can be confusing. In the Android space, the first phone to launch with Qi2 support, magnets and all, was the HMD Skyline. That's not a mainstream device, and it made for an interesting pioneer for magnetic charging in Androids. Other OEMs seemed uninterested. What's worse is that a phone can release with Qi2, but without MPP (Magnetic Power Profile), which is optional. Samsung showed that with the S25.
Unfortunately, considering Qi and Qi2 both charge devices at a maximum of 15W, when people hear Qi2, they expect to see the magnets, and when they don't, it feels like they've been bamboozled. OnePlus and Samsung have first-party charging cases that have magnetic rings to imitate proper Qi2, but it's not the same.
Thankfully, according to Android Authority, it seems that this year, we will see the first mainstream Android devices with proper magnetic Qi2 charging, and the lucky winner looks to be Google's Pixel 10 lineup. It's been long enough, and it is particularly interesting because this is coming a year after Google claimed that Qi2 charging had “no tangible benefit”. I guess stories change pretty fast in the smartphone world, though.
Google Seems Set to Launch a New Family of First-Party Magnetic Accessories
Apple has a wide selection of first-party MagSafe accessories, and if you don't want those, there's an almost endless lineup of third-party options that will get the job done just as well. To kickstart its foray into Qi2 phones, it seems that Google is also preparing some first-party accessories, and to mirror a trendy name like MagSafe, Google will be going for Pixelsnap.
At the moment, three accessories seem to be planned, namely:
- Pixelsnap Charger: a magnetic wireless charger
- Pixelsnap Charger with Stand: a magnetic wireless charger with a stand
- Pixelsnap Ring Stand: likely a Popsocket-type of accessory for holding and propping up the phone
This information comes from a trade database, with an image showing the different products, and confirming Qi 2.2 support as well as the Magnetic Power Profile. The only reason Google would be making such a product is if it were ready to bring that feature to its devices. Hopefully, this pans out. Android manufacturers have taken too long.
