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Forget iMessage! Samsung and Pixel can celebrate: Apple’s MagSafe is coming to Android

By Martin Filipov

Updated: Nov 25, 2023, 9:26 AM

38comments

This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.

Forget iMessage! Samsung and Pixel can celebrate: Apple’s MagSafe is coming to Android

For those who don’t know, Qi2 (by the way, pronounced ‘chee two’), is the new wireless charging standard announced by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) in January of 2023. Though it was announced so long ago, it is only set to launch a whole year later (read: very soon). Technically, we should start seeing Qi2 chargers this December.

What makes the next gen of Qi2 wireless chargers for Android exciting is that Apple (yes, thatApple) played a big part in making Qi2 happen. Tim Cook & Co did something bizarre - they decided to share Apple’s original MagSafe tech with the WPC (and therefore Android) openly and for free.

Even though I wouldn’t be surprised if this turned out to be a hostage situation, Apple sharing… anything isn’t something we see every day, or ever. But this time the (i) message from cupertino is different.

The MagSafe-capable Qi2 wireless charging standard for Android (and iPhone) is a win/win for everyone. The iPhone gained USB-C, and now Apple is (more or less) giving Android access to MagSafe, and everyone should be happy.

I’m here to tell Android users they should be excited, and that’s because MagSafe is low-key one of the best iPhone/Apple features in recent years. Android users will absolutely love it once phone-makers start adding magnets to the back of Android phones.

Check out the Best iPhone MagSafe accessories you can't resist in 2023 now!

Apple’s MagSafe tech is coming to Android in 2024: Samsung and Pixel users should be celebrating

It's up to Android phone-makers to add magnetic wireless charging to their phones now.

It’s important to note that not all Qi2 chargers will be magnetic. Instead, there will be two types of Qi2 chargers - one of them will feature Apple’s Magnetic Power Profile (MPP), maxing out at 15W (that’s the MagSafe one). The second type of Qi2 chargers, based on “Extended Power Profile” (EPP) won’t support MagSafe but you’ll be gaining double the charging speeds, at 30W.

The way I see it, thanks to the expertise and tech behind Apple’s MagSafe, the next generation of Qi2 wireless chargers for Android will bring improvements in two key areas/ways.

The first one is related to wireless charging efficiency. In case you aren’t familiar, wireless charging isn’t only slower than wired charging but it’s also far less efficient, because the phone heats up more and oftentimes gets misaligned on the charger. This is why you sometimes wake up to see your phone is dead, when it was supposed to be fully (and wirelessly) charged.

As far as heat dissipation is concerned, while Qi2 (based on MagSafe) won’t necessarily keep your phone cooler when charging (compared to the current version of Qi), the magnetic nature of it means you can opt in for a magnetic charger with a built-in cooling fan. With the current version of Qi chargers, you can only do that with a static charger that sits on a table. In theory, cooler temperatures while chagrin should preserve the condition of your phone’s battery for longer.

I don’t suppose the magnetic tech on the back of Android phones will be called “MagSafe”. But we aren’t here to talk about the name of this awesome feature. As far as I’m concerned it can be called GoogleGum or SamGlue… Actually, no. I take that back.

MagSafe accessories are one of the most convenient and fun selling points of the iPhone in recent years: Android users will love them

However, it’s the convenience factor, which I’ll now cover via a long list of MagSafe accessory examples that should make all the difference for those using Qi2 chargers compatible with MagSafe compatible Android phones. Of course, adding the magnets to the back of the phones is fully dependent on Samsung, Google and other Android phone makers.

First things first, my absolute favorite iPhone accessory is the MagSafe battery pack, which attaches to the back of my iPhone and charges it magnetically. The reason the MagSafe battery pack is a must for me is because it allows me to keep using my iPhone 13 mini without worrying about its mediocre battery life.

And to those who say “I can just get a powerbank” instead of paying $100 for Apple’s MagSafe battery pack, I’d advise you to wait until you try MagSafe. It’s sort of like the wired to wireless earbuds transition. You won’t want to go back. As a matter of fact, there are some excellent, larger (in capacity), and cheaper alternatives to Apple’s original MagSafe battery pack out there.

MagSafe wallets are also very useful; while I haven’t done so yet, I’ll probably get one soon so I don’t have to carry a separate pouch for my debit card; the awesome thing about some MagSafe magnetic wallets is that some of them are multifunctional, turning into a phone stand in landscape + portrait orientation - how amazing is that!

There are tripods that work with MagSafe, which make them much more convenient to use (regularly); in fact, the Moment Mobile Filmmaker Cage for MagSafe turns your phone into a cinematography powerhouse

Of course, car mounts, bike mounts, head mounts, drone mounts, etc., are some of the most ubiquitous and popular magnetic accessories out there, and not needing to buy a magnet or a special case to make them work on your Android phone sounds amazing

The Razr Phone Cooler, which is a magnetic fan that attaches to the back of the iPhone should also become Android compatible at some point; somewhat surprisingly for me, tests on YouTube show that it makes a bigger difference than expected as it keeps the phone cool during longer gaming sessions for smoother gameplay

Belkin’s iPhone Mount is another more obscure MagSafe accessory, which allows you to attach the phone on your MacBook’s lid and use it as a webcam - it’s not that this would be impossible without MagSafe, but it certainly makes the process easier and more streamlined (of course, the tech that allows this to work also needs to available)

MagSafe Pop sockets (like the ones you see at the dollar store) are also a thing - the key advantage there is that you don’t need to glue anything to the back of your phone/case

Perhaps the more important question is whether Android phone-makers will manage to come up with new, more innovative MagSafe accessories? More is more, and in the phone world, competition is key.

Is MagSafe coming to Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series, and how long till Android phones start shipping with iPhone-like magnets on the back?

Is Samsung getting on board of the MagSafe train?

What a time to alive if you are an Android or an iPhone user…

Android is set to be getting Apple’s super useful MagSafe tech, while the iPhone now has USB-C. It’s (Mag) safe to say that, because once Android phones start shipping with MagSafe charging capabilities, it’ll be more convenient to charge your iPhone/Android phones than ever before, and even share wired/wireless accessories. Hopefully.

The presence of MagSafe on Android will give people one less reason to choose iPhone over a Galaxy or a Pixel.

All that’s left for Android phone makers is to start adding the other piece of the magnetic puzzle to the back of their phones, so Android users can start taking advantage of MagSafe as soon as possible.

Somewhat shockingly, I haven’t heard of any upcoming Android phones rumored to support MagSafe, which is a bit bizarre. I’ll be very surprised if Samsung and Google (amongst others) pass on this awesome opportunity.

But who knows - perhaps the Galaxy S24 series is hiding a MagSafe secret we don’t know about (yet)?

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Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.