Apple rolled out iOS version 17.4 earlier this month, and one of the major highlights was its adherence to the new EU Digital Markets Act. However, it appears that there is more to this update than meets the eye.
Interestingly, the latest software update seems to have enabled support for the Qi2 wireless charging standard. As per testing done by Macworld, the iPhone 12 running on iOS 17.4 now charges wirelessly at 15W when connected magnetically to a Qi2 charger other than Apple’s MagSafe.
Prior to this update, wireless charging in such a scenario was capped at 7.5W, making this a significant improvement. The support for 15W wireless charging was initially introduced for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 with the release of iOS 17.2 in December, and now iPhone 12 users can also benefit from this enhancement.
The Qi2 standard, which was recently introduced, offers better wireless charging efficiency and magnetic alignment support. Interestingly, Apple, as a “steering member” of the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) that publishes the Qi standards, seems to have drawn inspiration from its own MagSafe technology for this development.
Now, iPhone 12 users can enjoy 15W wireless charging with a non-MagSafe certified Qi2 charger, matching the performance of a MagSafe-certified one.
