#qi2

#qi2

It's not an entirely new idea given Nomad's Universal Cable from earlier this year can charge an Apple Watch and an additional device at the same time, but Zens' new Pro 2 and Pro 3 USB-C cables offer additional functionality and some welcome future-proofing as chargers become more powerful. The cheaper of the two is the €49.99 (around $58) Pro 2 USB-C charging cable that includes an inline Qi2 charging puck that can wirelessly charge a smartphone or earbuds at up to 15W speeds.

It's evident that Google's main aim is to lure iPhone users away. This is both something Google itself is asserting and in all ways evident from the company's priorities. Rather than relying on a reputation of Pixels being the "smartest smartphone", as some have described it in years past, its main claim to fame is the soft, rounded, friendly face its hardware-software combo provides.

So, it's the same thing but under a different name, and yet Google had to leave out reverse wireless charging support from all Pixel 10 devices, since, the company says, it's incompatible with Qi2 wireless charging with magnets because (the following is machine translated from Portuguese) "the magnet set creates a strong connection with the charger but has a physical limitation for reverse wireless charging".

The most tangible hardware addition across the lineup, in fact, is completely invisible: a set of magnets beneath the phones' back panels. With the new Pixelsnap system, Google is the first major Android manufacturer to finally catch up to Apple's MagSafe. Apple launched its magnetic wireless charging system on the iPhone 12 range in 2020, and it's quietly become one of the best things about using an iPhone.