Pixel 13, Galaxy S28, and iPhone 21 could get a long-overdue battery upgrade

The leading flagship smartphones sold in the US, including the iPhone 17 Pro Max, Galaxy S26 Ultra, and Pixel 10 Pro XL, still have about 5,000 mAh batteries that charge slowly. Meanwhile, devices like the OnePlus 15, Oppo Find X9 Pro, Vivo X300 Ultra, and Xiaomi 17 Ultra pack about 7,000 mAh fast-charging batteries.

This battery divide has been growing for years, but a new charging standard could finally bring companies like Apple, Samsung, and Google closer to their Chinese competitors.

An upgrade to the Qi2 standard may come with much higher charging speeds

The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) has reportedly paved the way for a significant upgrade to the Qi2 standard. The update could allow future phones to come with 50W wireless charging speeds based on an update to the Qi and Qi2 technology.

According to an ITHome report (translated source), the WPC held an “off-cycle” meeting in Beijing at Xiaomi’s headquarters. The Chinese manufacturer was the one pushing the 50W speed update for the Qi standard through a “small inductance, low voltage, high power” solution.

Coming surprisingly soon

While the updated standard is not finalized, the process is much closer to being finished than one would anticipate. Apparently, the first devices with the updated Qi wireless charging could start appearing as soon as 2028.

Considering that Xiaomi is the company pushing for 50W wireless charging, it’s likely that the updated standard will be first available on its phones. However, Apple and Google were among the companies that are most actively pushing and applying Qi’s advancements to their devices. 

With that in mind, it would make sense for the 2028 Pixel and iPhone models to support the updated Qi wireless charging. However, most Android manufacturers haven’t implemented Qi2 support despite the numerous available accessories. This could change with the faster charging support.

One common worry that MagSafe users on Reddit have been sharing for years, is that wireless charging affects the longevity of the battery and produces excessive heat. While many iPhone users say they use exclusively wireless charging, the longevity concerns are the most common reason for others to only use wired charging.

Western consumers would benefit the most

Wireless charging with 50W may sound like science fiction to Apple, Google, and Samsung users, most of whom can’t get such speeds even when using a cable. However, most Chinese flagships already support about 50W wireless charging, with the Honor Magic 8 Pro reaching 80W.

If the new standard lands with the promised charging speeds, users outside of China are likely to feel a much larger change. Hopefully, that would also push more brands to support the standard.

Fingers crossed

I can’t imagine anyone being mad about getting faster charging on their smartphone. My hopes are that with the new wireless speeds, brands like Apple and Samsung will finally improve their wired charging, too.