Qi2.2 Wireless Charging Is Coming—Here's Why It Matters for Phones, Power Banks, and More

The latest and greatest wireless charging standard tops off your devices much faster.

Chargers aren’t exactly the most glamorous topic in tech: Nobody wants to sit around and watch as the battery indicator on their phone fills up. When there’s a change in the space, though, it matters. It usually means that charging, a necessary nuisance, is somehow going to take less time or become more convenient.

We’re starting to see one of those changes now. Last summer, the Wireless Power Consortium released a new and improved wireless charging standard, Qi2.2, which enables considerably faster wireless charging. Fast forward to 2026, and tech accessory brands have started releasing battery packs and charging pads that support it. Case in point, Senior Tech Editor Stefan Vazharov reviewed the Sharge Icemag 3 battery pack last month: It earned his recommendation for a few reasons, including a “stylish” design, but also because Qi2.2 “almost doubles the wireless charging speeds in new phones.”

So, while you won’t really ever see it, Qi2.2 should lead you to press reset on all your wireless charging tech, especially when and if you pick up a new phone. Here’s why:

Is Qi2.2 Wireless Charging Finally as Fast as a Wired Charger?

Broadly speaking? Not at all. Qi2.2 raises the maximum wireless charging rate to 25 watts (W). That’s considerably faster than Qi2, which tops out at 15W, but still lags far behind premium wired “fast-charging” devices. Many of today's advanced portable power solutions can deliver well over 100W of output.

SHARGE's HyperTower 170 Power Bank, 

for example, combines a large-capacity battery with high-speed charging in a compact, desktop-friendly design.It delivered 170W Max Output and  25000 mAh High Capacity.

Meanwhile, the new SHARGEEK 300 Power Bank is built for users who need even more power, offering up to 300W of total output, and support for charging multiple devices, including a laptop.

With smaller devices like phones, though? A 25W charging rate starts to come close. According to Apple, some Qi2.2 chargers can restore up to 50 percent of the iPhone 17 Pro’s battery life in just 30 minutes. With a wired 40W charger, you can get that same 50 percent charge in just 20 minutes. That’s definitely a big improvement, but it’s close enough that you can expect even a quick top-off to restore a substantial portion of your battery. More often than not, that’s all you’re looking for from a midday charge.

Do Qi2.2 Chargers Work With Older Devices?

Absolutely. Qi2.2 charging pads are all backward compatible and will charge any Qi-compatible device. With Qi2.2 compatibility, though, they will only be able to meet the standard of the device. The catch is that older devices will not be able to take advantage of Qi2.2’s faster charging speed. An older phone that only supports Qi2, like the iPhone 15, will only charge at up to 15W, not 25.

Better yet, choosing a Qi2.2 product today helps future-proof your setup. You'll be ready for upcoming devices that support the latest wireless charging technologies while maintaining compatibility with the devices you already own.

In short, a Qi2.2 power bank isn't just an upgrade for your next phone—it's a smarter long-term investment that works across multiple generations of devices.

What Else Does Qi2.2 Do?

Obviously, charging faster is the flashiest, most important improvement in Qi2.2, but there are a few other optimizations being added with the update. In most cases, you can expect a higher standard for magnetic alignment when you use magnetic chargers—think Apple’s MagSafe—as well as improvements for both efficiency and safety. Depending on the device, you may notice it doesn’t get quite as warm while charging, but that varies from device to device.

Ultimately, faster charging is the big news here. And if you hate waiting for your phone to charge, that’s a pretty big deal.

Need to Charge Faster?

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