What’s All the Fuss About...
Qi2.2 Wireless charging should get much faster – but don’t ditch your cables just yet
What is it?
The latest version of the wireless charging standard Qi (pronounced ‘chee’). It was approved in April and the first devices are now starting to arrive.
Wireless? So you don’t need any cables?
Correct. Wireless charging has been around since 2009 when the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) introduced Qi. But it took until 2012 for phone manufacturers to make phones that could be charged wirelessly.
How does it work?
Magnetic induction. Wireless chargers have a coil of wire. When you switch it on, it sends a current through that coil, creating an invisible magnetic field. Your phone has a matching coil. Put the two close enough together, and that magnetic field induces a current in your phone’s coil. That current is turned into electricity, which tops up your battery.