The Pixel 10 is just around the corner. Google is taking the wraps off its newest phones at an event on August 20.
Based on leaks we’ve seen, one of the phones’ flashiest new hardware features will be MagSafe-style Qi2 charging.
We’ve seen images of a Qi2 charger attached to a Pixel 10, part of a line of accessories that’ll reportedly be marketed under a new Pixelsnap brand. This is exciting — but not necessarily for wireless charging.
Here are four other uses for Qi2 to get excited about on Pixel 10.
Magnetic wallets
It’s never been easier to leave your wallet at home. Even smaller retailers take contactless payments these days, and Google Wallet can store all kinds of documents, from loyalty cards to IDs.
Still, it’s hard to go walletless all the time. Digital IDs are still more of a novelty than a replacement for physical identification, and you can’t stuff cash into your Pixel 10. Enter magnetic wallets.
Slim magnetic wallets aren’t terribly exciting, but they can help you travel lighter by condensing two pockets’ worth of junk into one. Pretty neat!
Car mounts
Slightly more novel than wallets, Qi2 compatibility will let you slap the Pixel 10 onto specialized magnetic mounts. That’s especially handy in the car.
These mounts can come with or without wireless charging built in and are at least a little more convenient than the kind that holds your phone with spring-loaded arms.
They also seem less prone to failure. The spring mechanism in my old non-magnetic car mount is going bad, and I just had to glue the little foam bumpers that cushion the phone back in place.
Sure, I could get a new one, but I’m holding out until I can get a Qi2 mount.
Power banks
I’m not especially excited about MagSafe-style magnetic charging pucks, but magnetic power banks are another story.
I like to travel light, but I always carry a power bank on longer trips.
That’s a more convenient solution than having to find a wall outlet when my phone’s battery dips, but wrangling an external battery and a USB cable as I’m jogging to my airport gate still isn’t great.
With Qi2, the Pixel 10 will have access to battery packs that stick to the back of the phone, no cable required.
Wireless charging isn’t as efficient, but I’m willing to lose a few milliamp-hours for the convenience.
Game controllers
Clip-on game controllers from the likes of Razer and GameSir are great, turning phones into pseudo-handheld gaming PCs. But not every controller fits every phone, and a lot of them don’t work if you’re using a case.
Qi2 on Pixel 10 and future Android phones paves the way for magnetic clip-on game controllers that solve both of those problems. Oddly enough, there aren’t many of these available yet.
There’s one on Kickstarter that’s made to live on the back of an iPhone full-time, tucked away when it’s not in use, and sliding out with the touch of a button.
I can’t vouch for that particular model, but its campaign raised almost $2 million — so I imagine there’ll be more options soon.
Time to get excited about magnets
Leaks indicate that the Pixelsnap accessory line will include both phone cases and wireless chargers. We don’t know what other options Google will offer at launch, if any.
But other companies can and do make Qi2 accessories, and Apple’s MagSafe uses the same magnet layout, so magnetic mounts and some other kits made for iPhones will benefit the Pixel 10, too.
The Pixel 10 is rumored to introduce hardware changes like the first 3nm-process Tensor chipset and a telephoto camera in the non-Pro phone — something we haven’t seen since the Pixel 4.
Still, I think Qi2 might be the biggest change for regular users, and I’m looking forward to what Google and other manufacturers can do with it.
