What you need to know
- The WPC responded to Nothing’s comments that it would take roughly $10 million to develop the magnetic systems for wireless charging.
- It states that, if Nothing were a WPC member, it would have “access to the specs and favorable licensing terms under RAND” and that it may not “understand the situation.”
- Google’s Pixel 10 series features Qi2 fully integrated within its devices, without the need for a case, unlike Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series.
Nothing has found itself entangled with the WPC (World Power Consortium), the minds behind the Qi2 standard, and what it takes to bring this capability to devices.
As Android Authority reports, Nothing made some comments recently about how much it would cost to create a “compatible magnetic system” for wireless charging capabilities. In response to Nothing’s $10 million claim to develop such tech, the WPC stated the following to YouTuber TechAltar: “If Nothing was a WPC member, they would have access to the specs and favorable licensing terms under RAND.”
It adds, “Knowing that Google, HMD, Samsung (plus others soon) already are using the magnets in phones or covers suggests that Nothing may not understand the situation.”
The host of the channel, Marton Barcza, states Nothing likes to upload playful videos about “hypothetical devices” and the purported “cost” it would take to make those real. It was during one of those videos that Nothing said it would cost an unimaginable amount of money to develop the magnetic wireless charging system. The company adds that while “the magnets in your device are not the exact same configuration as Apple‘s MagSafe, there’s a good chance the coils may not be perfectly aligned, and you won’t get the optimized charge speed, and you’ll generate more heat.”
Nothing claimed that “a lot of companies” have probably weighed this risk, coupled with the supposed cost demand, and have settled for wired charging, which is faster.
Qi2’s not out of the question
Barcza said that they went into research, meeting with industry experts and even the WPC about Qi2 and Nothing, but didn’t hear anything like the comments made. It’s assumed that there’s just some miscommunication, but Barcza states that the magnetic alignment is “a part of the standard.” This essentially means that companies wouldn’t have to “recreate” anything if they want to implement it into their devices for wireless charging.
We’ve been excited and interested in Nothing developing proper Qi2-capable devices and the accessories for it, but nothing’s (no pun intended) happened yet. The Phone 3a and 3a Pro debuted without Qi2 support, much like the Nothing Phone 3, which lacks the newer alignment to support it, as well.
When we get down to the WPC’s comments, Google and Samsung both feature Qi2, just in different ways—and varying support. Google’s recent Pixel 10 series features full Qi2 support, meaning everything is integrated within the phones themselves. However, when you get to Samsung’s Galaxy S25 series, consumers will need a case to take advantage of the Qi2 support, as the phones don’t feature it natively.
