Apple hasn’t officially announced it yet, but the latest iOS 26 beta quietly unlocks 25W Qi2 wireless charging for the iPhone 16 lineup, excluding the base 16e model. This marks a major shift, allowing faster wireless charging speeds even without using MagSafe.
iPhone 16 gains Qi2 25W support with iOS 26
Until now, only MagSafe chargers could push Apple’s newer iPhones to 25W wireless speeds. Standard Qi accessories topped out at 15W. That’s about to change. Thanks to iOS 26, all models in the iPhone 16 family except the 16e will now support 25W Qi2 charging with compatible accessories.
This feature became active in the latest iOS 26 beta. It’s Apple’s first real embrace of the Qi2.2 standard, which the Wireless Power Consortium announced earlier this year to help speed up charging across more devices.
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Faster charging requires new hardware
To take advantage of the higher speeds, users will need Qi2-certified 25W chargers. Most existing Qi2 pads only charge at 15W, and the market for 25W Qi2 accessories is still small.
Still, early options are beginning to arrive. Belkin, for example, recently released a Qi2-compatible stand for iPhones with full 25W support, making it one of the first to do so.
No love for older iPhones
Don’t expect older models to benefit. Apple confirmed that only iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max will get this update. iOS 26 must be supported. The 16e misses out, and the feature won’t roll back to iPhone 15 or earlier devices due to hardware limitations.
As Qi2 chargers grow in availability, iPhone 16 users will finally have more freedom and faster speeds without being locked into MagSafe. That’s a small but meaningful shift in Apple’s wireless charging strategy.
