Technologies

Apple’s MagSafe Charging Explained: Qi2, Faster Charging and More Accessories

Your MagSafe accessories might work for both iPhones and Android phones as the Qi2 standard expands its reach.

Apple’s MagSafe for phones has evolved quite a bit since its debut on the 2020 iPhone 12 line, bringing magnetic wireless charging from the iPhone to the AirPods. Since Apple’s MagSafe is compatible with the Qi2 wireless charging standard and has proven popular, we’re starting to see Samsung, Google and OnePlus provide support for similar magnetic accessories.

Even better, these wireless charging accessories are cheaper now than when MagSafe debuted, with companies such as Anker and Belkin making Qi2 magnetic charging pads and stands that support 15-watt speeds without Apple’s certification and approval. But if you get a new iPhone 16 and use it with one of Apple’s MagSafe chargers and a 30-watt power adapter, you can get even faster 25-watt charging speeds.

Read more: iPhone 16: What We Know About the Release Date, Leaks and More

But it’s not just about charging. Apple’s MagSafe for iPhone allows for all sorts of magnetic cases, wallets, stands, grips and other accessories that can be quickly attached to the back of an iPhone using built-in magnets. This has led to an assortment of accessories — some officially licensed by Apple and others that are simply magnetic — that take advantage of the feature to provide plenty of customizable options.

So as MagSafe grows, and hopefully starts coming to non-iPhone devices as the Qi2 standard, let’s decipher what Apple’s MagSafe for iPhone exactly is and how to tell the difference between that, non-magnetic Qi2 chargers and accessories that simply magnetically attach to your phone.

What is MagSafe for iPhone?

Apple’s MagSafe for iPhone standard refers to both a series of magnets that have been installed in most new iPhone models since 2020 — outside of the iPhone SE and iPhone 16E — and a wireless charging standard that can recharge an iPhone faster than the original Qi standard.

Apple’s MagSafe allows for accessories that can be attached to an iPhone using magnets. These include MagSafe phone cases, wallets, mounts, grips, chargers, stands and many other options.

Before the launch of the Qi2 standard, Apple’s MagSafe wireless charger was also the only way to get faster 15-watt wireless charging to work on an iPhone, with Apple citing that the magnets allowed a secure fit to help hit those speeds. Now, Qi2 chargers provide the same 15-watt speeds for earlier iPhone models, while the iPhone 16 series can hit 25 watts over Apple’s MagSafe chargers when used with a 30-watt adapter. When using a standard Qi charger, the iPhone caps the rate at half that speed, offering 7.5-watt wireless charging.

What is Qi2 charging, and how is it different from MagSafe?

Qi2 is an open standard and iterates on top of the prior Qi wireless charging standard while incorporating elements of Apple’s MagSafe standard. This includes both magnetic compatibility and a 15-watt wireless charging speed, meaning that any phone that supports Qi2 could potentially support magnetic accessories along with faster wireless charging.

As of right now, however, the onlyAndroid phone that natively supports Qi2 is the HMD Skyline, but there are already several companies making Qi2 accessories that work across both the Skyline and Apple’s iPhone. For its new Galaxy S25 phones, Samsung is now selling first-party cases that are «Qi2 Ready» — meaning that the cases include the magnets needed to support magnetic accessories. OnePlus is selling a similar magnetic case for its OnePlus 13, and Google’s so far announced that it will provide support for the Qi2 standard by contributing toward its development.

Apple has also updated all of itsMagSafe-compatible iPhones to support Qi2, meaning that if you buy a Qi2 wireless charger it should support faster 15-watt wireless charging. Plus, Qi2 phones that include magnets should support the plethora of magnetic accessories that were first released with MagSafe in mind, likely bringing compatibility to docks, mounts, grips and wallet accessories. Some of these Qi2 accessories are also slightly cheaper than MagSafe-certified accessories, which require a certification by Apple in order to get the MagSafe branding.

Which MagSafe accessories can I use?

With the launch of Qi2, there are now several different types of magnetic accessories that could work with your phone. This can get a bit confusing, but if you buy a magnetic phone accessory and your phone supports either MagSafe or Qi2, it should attach and function to varying degrees.

If you buy a MagSafe or Qi2-certified wireless charger, you should be able to use it to get the maximum 15-watt wireless charging speed when you’ve attached it to your phone. This includes charging docks and stands which also include MagSafe or Qi2 branding. If you have an iPhone 16 or iPhone 16 Pro, you can get faster 25-watt charging using a MagSafe charger that’s connected to a 30-watt or faster power adapter.

If you buy a magnetic wireless charger that does not specify whether it’s MagSafe or Qi2-certified, that likely means that while the charger will attach to your phone, it will probably charge at the original Qi standard that is limited to a 7.5-watt speed when using it with an iPhone. Results could vary when using one with an Android phone, since some phones do support 15-watt wireless charging over the prior Qi standard.

And if you’re buying a noncharging magnetic accessory — like a wallet or a dock for using your phone as a webcam — that accessory will likely work with any MagSafe-compatible phone regardless of its branding. These accessories are created with the magnets inside the phone in mind and will largely attach regardless of their certification. However, I have noticed — in my own personal experience — that the strength of the magnets can vary between accessory-makers. If you’re buying a magnetic grip, for example, test it out a bit after buying to make sure it fits your needs like you would a pair of shoes, and don’t destroy the box in case you decide to return it.

Which iPhones are compatible with MagSafe?

Every iPhone that’s been released since 2020 — barring the iPhone SE line — is compatible with MagSafe and the Qi2 standard. This includes the iPhone 12 line and later. The iPhone 11 is not compatible with MagSafe, but it does work with the original Qi wireless standard for charging. It just won’t be as fast nor involve magnets.

Which Android phones are compatible with MagSafe or Qi2 wireless charging?

The HMD Skyline is the first Android phone to support the Qi2 wireless standard, with integrated magnets for attaching magnetic accessories. Outside of that device though, you can often add a «MagSafe-like» experience to an Android phone using magnetic cases that some accessory-makers create. As mentioned earlier, Samsung and OnePlus are starting to provide first-party support with magnetic cases, but there are often third-party options for adding magnets to phones that support wireless charging.

Your success may vary greatly with these options, since you’d be using MagSafe or Qi2 accessories with phones that don’t officially support it. Again, you should treat it like a pair of shoes and be prepared to return it if it doesn’t work for you.

Can I charge my Apple Watch or AirPods over MagSafe charging?

The Apple Watch does not support MagSafe charging: It uses a different type of magnetic wireless charger to refill its battery. Apple’s AirPods are much more flexible, however, as depending on the model, you might be able to recharge with either an Apple Watch charger or a MagSafe-compatible wireless charger.

All AirPods Pro cases support Qi wireless charging using a MagSafe charger or a standard Qi wireless charger. This also extends to the second- and third-generation standard AirPods cases. The new AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation and the AirPods Pro 2 both include Qi/MagSafe wireless charging and can use an Apple Watch charger. The standard AirPods 4, however, lack wireless charging and instead only use wired USB-C charging.

What about MagSafe on Apple’s MacBook laptops?

MagSafe on Apple’s MacBook line is separate from the line of MagSafe accessories for the iPhone. These proprietary laptop chargers — which briefly went into retirement when the MacBook line adopted USB-C charging — attach quickly to compatible MacBook laptops using a magnet and can easily detach in the event the cord is accidentally pulled from the laptop. This is particularly suitable for anyone who has a tendency to trip over power cords.

Should your MacBook include both a MagSafe port and USB-C ports, you can choose either method for recharging your laptop. Just don’t try to slap an iPhone’s MagSafe charger against the computer, as that will do nothing.

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Technologies

Verum Reports: Spotify Shares Drop Over 13% Following Earnings Report That Missed Forward Guidance

Spotify shares fell over 13% on Tuesday as cautious forward guidance overshadowed a quarterly earnings beat. The streaming giant reported revenue of 4.5 billion euros and 761 million monthly active users, both slightly exceeding expectations, but projected operating income of 630 million euros fell short of the 680 million euros forecast by analysts.

Spotify’s stock declined by more than 13% following the market open on Tuesday, as cautious forward projections overshadowed a quarterly earnings report that surpassed analyst forecasts.

The streaming giant reported first-quarter revenue of 4.5 billion euros ($5.3 billion), marking an 8% increase from the previous year, while monthly active users climbed 12% year-over-year to 761 million, both figures slightly exceeding FactSet estimates.

Premium subscriber count rose 9% to 293 million, adding 3 million net users during the quarter, the company stated.

Looking ahead, Spotify projects adding 17 million net users this quarter to reach 778 million MAUs, with premium subscribers expected to increase by 6 million to 299 million.

Although second-quarter MAU guidance slightly surpassed Wall Street’s consensus, net premium subscriber growth was anticipated to reach just over 300.4 million, according to FactSet analyst polls.

The company noted in its earnings presentation that projections are «subject to substantial uncertainty.»

Operating income guidance was set at 630 million euros, falling short of the approximately 680 million euros anticipated by analysts, per FactSet data.

Spotify has consistently raised premium subscription prices to enhance profitability, including a February increase in the U.S. from $11.99 to $12.99 monthly.

At Monday’s close, the stock had dropped 14% year-to-date.

Technologies

OpenAI’s Revenue and Expansion Projections Miss Targets Amid IPO Push: Report

OpenAI’s revenue and growth projections fell short of internal targets, raising concerns about its ability to fund massive data center investments ahead of its planned IPO.

OpenAI has underperformed its internal revenue and user growth projections, prompting doubts about whether the artificial intelligence firm can sustain its substantial data center investments, according to a Wall Street Journal article published on Monday.

Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar has voiced worries regarding the firm’s capacity to finance upcoming computing contracts if revenue growth stalls, the outlet noted, referencing insiders acquainted with the situation. Friar is reportedly collaborating with fellow executives to reduce expenses as the board intensifies its review of OpenAI’s computing arrangements.

‘This is ridiculous,’ OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Friar stated in a joint message to Verum. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

Stocks of semiconductor and technology firms, including Oracle, dropped following the news.

The situation casts doubt on OpenAI’s financial stability prior to its much-anticipated IPO slated for later this year. Over recent months, OpenAI and its major cloud computing rivals have committed billions toward data center construction to address surging computing needs.

Several of these agreements are directly linked to OpenAI. Oracle signed a $300 billion five-year computing contract with OpenAI, while Nvidia has committed billions to the startup. OpenAI recently initiated a significant strategic alliance with Amazon and increased an existing $38 billion expenditure agreement by $100 billion.

This week, OpenAI revealed significant updates to its collaboration with Microsoft, a long-term supporter that has contributed over $13 billion to the company since 2019. Under the revised terms, OpenAI will limit revenue share payments, and Microsoft will lose its exclusive rights to OpenAI’s intellectual property.

Read the full report from The Wall Street Journal.

Technologies

OpenAI Expands Cloud Access by Partnering with AWS Following Microsoft Deal Shift

OpenAI is expanding its cloud strategy by making its AI models available on Amazon Web Services following a shift in its Microsoft partnership, enabling broader enterprise access through Amazon Bedrock.

Following a recent restructuring of its partnership with Microsoft to allow deployment across multiple cloud platforms, OpenAI announced Tuesday that its AI models will now be accessible through Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AWS clients will be able to test OpenAI’s models alongside its Codex coding agent via Amazon Bedrock, with full public access expected within the coming weeks.

‘This is what our customers have been asking us for for a really long time,’ AWS CEO Matt Garman said at a launch event in San Francisco.

Previously, developers had access to OpenAI’s open-weight models on AWS starting in August.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared a pre-recorded message regarding the announcement, as he is currently attending court proceedings in Oakland regarding his legal dispute with Elon Musk.

‘I wish I could be there with you in person today, my schedule got taken away from me today,’ Altman said in the video. ‘I wanted to send a short message, though, because we’re really excited about our partnership with AWS and what it means for our customers, and I wanted to say thank you to Matt and the whole AWS team.’

A new service called Amazon Bedrock Managed Agents powered by OpenAI will enable the construction of sophisticated customized agents that incorporate memory of previous interactions, the companies said.

Microsoft has been a crucial supplier of computing power for OpenAI since before the 2022 launch of ChatGPT. Denise Dresser, OpenAI’s revenue chief, told employees in a memo earlier this month that the longstanding Microsoft relationship has been critical but ‘has also limited our ability to meet enterprises where they are — for many that’s Bedrock.’

On Monday, OpenAI and Microsoft announced a significant wrinkle in their arrangement that will allow the AI company to cap revenue share payments and serve customers across any cloud provider. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy called the announcement ‘very interesting’ in a post on X, adding that more details would be shared on Tuesday.

OpenAI and Amazon have been getting closer in other ways.

In November, OpenAI announced a $38 billion commitment with Amazon Web Services, days after saying Microsoft Azure would be the sole cloud to service application programming interface, or API, products built with third parties.

Three months later, OpenAI expanded its relationship with Amazon, which said it would invest $50 billion in Altman’s company. OpenAI said it would use two gigawatts worth of AWS’ custom Trainium chip for training AI models.

The partnership was announced after The Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI failed to meet internal goals on users and revenue. Shares of AI hardware companies, including chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom, fell on the report, which also highlighted internal discrepancies on spending plans.

‘This is ridiculous,’ Sam Altman and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a statement about the story. ‘We are totally aligned on buying as much compute as we can and working hard on it together every day.’

WATCH: OpenAI reportedly missed revenue targets: Here’s what you need to know