Qi made wireless charging one interoperable standard; Samsung then Apple built it in

In the late 2000s, wireless charging existed only as incompatible proprietary pads. The Wireless Power Consortium, a group of device and accessory makers, set out to write one spec; its Qi 1.0 standard, delivered in July 2010, defined how a 5-watt transmitter and receiver negotiate power, with certification to ensure products actually interoperate.

Samsung adopted Qi in its Galaxy line, and the standard's backward-compatible revisions added fast charging and foreign-object detection. In September 2017 Apple finally put Qi into the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X — the same standard Samsung devices used — so any Qi-certified mat, including mophie and Belkin models already on sale, worked with the new iPhones.

Apple's adoption made Qi effectively universal for phones, and the WPC kept extending it: version 2.0 (2023) added a Magnetic Power Profile for magnetic attachment and alignment, and 2.2 (2025) raised power to 25 watts. Restaurants, hotels and cars began embedding Qi pads as the installed base made it safe to build charging in.

One spec plus certification beats proprietary chargers

One interoperable spec meant a single pad could serve every phone brand.

Certification gave buyers confidence that the logo meant compatibility.

Samsung's early adoption built a base of Qi-certified accessories.

Apple joining in 2017 made the standard cover nearly the whole market at once.

For an accessory standard, interoperability is the product: certify against one spec and the installed base of devices grows the market for everyone.

Qi is the world's most widely used wireless charging standard; the WPC's certified-product database lists devices from hundreds of members, and the spec continues to add magnetic alignment, higher power and new categories. One charger now works across phones, earbuds, watches and cars.