Move over, MagSafe. Qi2 charging is here, and we don’t need you anymore. That’s the promise of the new wireless charging standard, anyway, and popular accessory maker Nomad is here to put that theory to the test.
Nomad has offered its Stand charging stand for the iPhone in two configurations for a while — one with Apple’s MagSafe technology, and one with Qi wireless charging. The Qi version of the charger costs $80, and the MagSafe version costs $110 — an almost 40% increase just for the privilege of MagSafe.
One of the biggest advantages that MagSafe has had over the first generation of Qi wireless charging is that it was the only way to charge a compatible iPhone at 15 watts of power. Qi wireless chargers have unfortunately been stuck at 7.5 watts of charging speed for years now. Thankfully, that is finally about to change, and Nomad is at the forefront of that change.
As spotted by The Verge, Nomad has now upgraded its Stand charger to Qi2 — the second generation of Qi wireless charging technology. The upcoming Qi2 wireless charger will be able to charge compatible iPhones at 15 watts — just like MagSafe. And, like I expected, it will be cheaper for consumers…just not as much as I was hoping for. While Nomad’s charger was $80 with the first generation of Qi wireless charging, this new model will cost $100 — just $10 cheaper than the one that supports MagSafe.
Nomad isn’t the only charging brand that is ready to make the switch to Qi2. Popular accessory maker Anker has also recently announced a range of Qi2 wireless chargers that it will be bringing to the market, but we don’t know the prices or release dates just yet. They are sure to be cheaper than Nomad’s, though, as you are certainly paying a premium for higher-quality materials with that brand.
While MagSafe is great, and I really appreciate all of the MagSafe chargers around my house and the FineWoven MagSafe Case and FineWoven MagSafe Wallet on the back of my iPhone 15 Pro, there is a premium in the price we’ve all had to pay for the privilege of using Apple’s charging technology. I’ll be perfectly happy to give up Apple’s proprietary implementation for a more popular charging standard that also lowers prices for all of us.
