The next big leap in wireless charging might not come from a flashy smartphone launch, but from behind closed doors where the biggest names in tech are working together. According to an ITHome report, Apple, Google, Xiaomi, and several other major technology companies recently gathered in Beijing for the Wireless Power Consortium’s (WPC) Qi Off-cycle Meeting, where discussions centered around the upcoming Qi 50W wireless charging standard.
The four-day event, hosted by Xiaomi, focused on refining technical specifications, testing prototype hardware, and ensuring devices from different manufacturers can work seamlessly together. This marks the first time the WPC has held an Off-cycle Meeting in Beijing and represents a significant milestone in the development of the next-generation Qi standard, which promises faster, safer, and more reliable wireless charging.
Shaping the next Qi standard
The Wireless Power Consortium is the organization behind the Qi wireless charging standard used by hundreds of millions of smartphones, earbuds, and accessories worldwide. With over 300 member companies and more than 13,000 Qi-certified products on the market, the consortium plays a critical role in ensuring cross-device compatibility.
The latest meeting brought together over 20 companies spanning every segment of the wireless charging ecosystem. Participants included Apple, Google, Xiaomi, OPPO, Huawei, Honor, vivo, Anker, Panasonic Automotive Systems, Philips, NXP, Dolby Laboratories, Renesas, and numerous other semiconductor and component manufacturers.
According to Xiaomi, the discussions zeroed in on three major areas: finalizing the technical direction of the Qi 50W specification, testing prototype hardware, and verifying interoperability between devices from different manufacturers.
Xiaomi is also pushing for its “small inductance, low voltage, high power” architecture to be adopted as part of the new standard. The company says this approach can reduce energy loss, improve thermal performance, increase charging efficiency, and enable slimmer smartphone designs.
The Qi 50W specification is still under development and is currently expected to be finalized in 2028.
Proprietary tech has already moved past 50W
Interestingly, the industry-standard Qi specification is now trying to catch up with proprietary charging technologies that have already surpassed the 50W milestone. OnePlus has commercialized 50W AirVOOC wireless charging across multiple flagship smartphones, while OPPO also offers 50W AirVOOC on premium devices. Xiaomi itself has launched 50W wireless charging commercially and has demonstrated experimental systems capable of exceeding 80W.
The catch is that these solutions remain proprietary. Users typically need compatible chargers and accessories from the same manufacturer to achieve the advertised charging speeds. This is where the Qi 50W standard could make a meaningful difference. Rather than simply increasing charging power, the goal is to create a universal standard that works reliably across manufacturers while maintaining high safety standards and compatibility.
If Apple, Google, Xiaomi, and the rest of the WPC can agree on a common specification, future smartphones could deliver significantly faster wireless charging without locking users into a single ecosystem. For consumers, that would ultimately be more valuable than chasing ever-higher charging speeds. A unified 50W standard would mean buying one compatible charger that works well across multiple devices, regardless of the brand behind the phone.
