Which Phones Support Qi Wireless Charging?

Nonstop Blog We're All Qi.png

We’ve talked many times about the growing popularity of Wireless Charging and how it will soon make its way into various aspects of our lives. Cars, power tools, tablets, and of course - our smartphones - will all be powered via the Qi standard.

But while it’s great to discuss the potential and future of new technologies, it’s also crucial to understand where we are at the moment. So while self-driving cars powered wirelessly is a great future use case, which devices, as of December 14th, 2018, actually support Qi wireless charging?

We dive into the top mobile phone providers in North America to uncover just how mainstream wireless charging has become.


Apple

Market Share:

39%

Qi Compatible Phones

iPhone 8, iPhone 8S, iPhone X, iPhone XS, iPhone XR, iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro Max

Outlook:

The chart below shows that 63% of Apple phones sold in 2018 had Qi wireless charging. You can expect that number to dramatically grow in 2019 as Apple announced they will be discontinuing the iPhone 6, 6S, and SE - which made up nearly 20% of sales in 2018. When Apple most likely discontinues the iPhone 7/S at the end of next year, every single phone Apple sells will have Qi Wireless Charging.

Tip for hotels: Outside of the economy segment, you can expect affluent travelers are upgrading into the iPhone 8 or X and therefore the statistics are even more compelling.

Data provided by - https://www.statista.com/statistics/804398/us-iphone-sales-by-model/*Model has been discontinued

Data provided by - https://www.statista.com/statistics/804398/us-iphone-sales-by-model/

*Model has been discontinued

Samsung

Market Share:

25%

Qi Compatible Phones

Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, Galaxy S6 Active, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy S7 Active, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Plus, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy S9 Plus, Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S10., Galaxy S11, Galaxy Note 20

Outlook:

Samsung started offering Qi Charging back in 2012 and have been consistent ever since. In fact the only models Samsung offers without Qi charging are lower budget options that are among their lowest selling phones. By just looking at Apple and Samsung, who control 65% of the Market, you can see wireless charging phones dominated sales in 2018.

The Galaxy S9 and Note dominate phone sales for Samsung and come with Qi Wireless Charging

The Galaxy S9 and Note dominate phone sales for Samsung and come with Qi Wireless Charging

LG

Market Share:

17%

Qi Compatible Phones:

LG G6 (US Only), LG 6+, LG V30, LG V30 Plus, LG V30S Thin Q, LG V35 Thin Q, LG G7 Thin Q, LG V40 Thin Q.

Outlook:

Similar to Samsung, the only phones LG makes that don’t support Qi are lower cost and less popular models. In fact one visit to LG’s Website shows phones that support Qi have on average 200+ reviews, whereas phones that don’t support Qi have less than 10, with many showing no reviews at all.

The LG V40 Thin Q has been touted as one of the best smartphones of 2018

The LG V40 Thin Q has been touted as one of the best smartphones of 2018

Google

Market Share:

1%

Qi Compatible Phones

Google Pixel 3, Google Pixel 3XL, Google Pixel 4

Outlook:

Google isn’t known for their smartphones or hardware products in general, which is reflected in their lowly 1% market share. But we felt the sheer size and brand recognition of this tech giant warranted a spot on this list.

While they didn’t include Wireless Charging on the first two iterations of the Pixel, the 3rd one will support it. The most interesting news surrounding Google and wireless charging however is the introduction of The Pixel Stand - the world's first “smart” wireless charger. When the Pixel 3 connects to the Pixel Stand users are given access to a set of features that include Google Assistant, cover art, and integration with other Google-backed products such as Nest. The Pixel Stand can also tell the difference between different devices and transform the device UI accordingly. This is a huge step towards a wireless world where devices can communicate with each other.   

However there is a catch with the Pixel and Pixel stand. If you’d prefer not to spend the extra $79 on Google’s Wireless Charger and instead opt for a 3rd party option, be prepared to have your charging speeds capped at 5 Watts. This is because Google Built in a limiter on the Pixel that can only be surpassed with The Pixel Stand.

Tip for hotels:  Worried that some guests won’t be able to use it?  These hotel charging stations have Qi & USB so you can satisfy guests’ need for power universally

The Pixel 3 Charging Wirelessly on The Pixel Stand - Google proprietary Qi Charger that allows for 10W Fast Wireless Charging

The Pixel 3 Charging Wirelessly on The Pixel Stand - Google proprietary Qi Charger that allows for 10W Fast Wireless Charging

Conclusion

Next time you buy a smartphone, there is an overwhelming probability that it will have Qi wireless charging. Apple, Samsung, and LG, which account for over 80% of all smartphone sales, have smartphone lines that are completely dominated by Qi Wireless Charging.  And many other tech giants are already developing new use cases that leverage Qi charging, making it smarter and therefore even more valuable to consumers.

It may take some time for some people to realize the benefits of wireless charging, but sooner or later it will become the preferred method of charging for millions of consumers across the world.

While we didn’t discuss them here, other major mobile phone providers like Huawei, Blackberry, Motorola, Nokia and more all offer multiple smartphones that have Qi.  You can view the entire list of Qi compatible phones here. Special thanks to the team over at The Wireless Solution for sharing the graphic!

Now as a hotelier you should ask yourself, if my guests are getting wireless charging phones, shouldn’t I be getting wireless phone chargers?

Helpful Links

https://www.counterpointresearch.com/us-market-smartphone-share/

https://www.thewirelesssolution.co.uk/blogs/information/wireless-charging-compatibility-table

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/10/drm-for-chargers-google-pixel-3-locks-fast-qi-charging-to-its-own-79-stand/

https://www.technative.io/the-future-of-connected-living-and-working-is-powered-by-wireless-charging/