Does the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE support Qi2?

Quick answer:
No, unfortunately, the Galaxy S24 FE doesn’t support Qi2. So far, no Samsung device is compatible with this standard.

Apple added MagSafe to the iPhone in 2020, and since then, Android users have been waiting for a similar technology to come to their phones. Things looked promising when Qi2 was announced in 2023, a new standard that would bring MagSafe-like functionality to any smartphone that wanted to support it.

Qi2 was announced too late for 2023 devices to have it, but it was hoped that by 2024, we would start to see it on our phones. The Galaxy S24 FE is the latest device in Samsung’s flagship line, but is it the first to have Qi2 support?

Does the Galaxy S24 FE support Qi2?

Unfortunately not

The Galaxy S24 FE is a compelling upper midrange device, especially if you can get it on sale. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support the Qi2 standard. As sad as that is, it isn’t surprising. None of Samsung’s devices support Qi2, and it was never likely that a more budget version of the S24 series would get a feature that the more expensive phones didn’t.

Should you be excited about Qi2?

Qi2 opens up a new world of accessories.

Qi2 is about more than shoving magnets into your phone so you can stick a cardholder onto it. It improves upon the current wireless charging standard many devices already use.

Wireless charging as we know it today isn’t very efficient, as it’s hard to perfectly align your phone with the coils in a charging pad. The magnets in the Qi2 standard ensure perfect alignment every time, and the benefits are significant. Less energy will be wasted, so a phone with 15W Qi2 charging will charge faster than a phone with the old 15W Qi standard.

Another bonus is the range of Qi2 accessories. Apple helped develop the standard, so most existing MagSafe accessories will work with Qi2, and almost all of the ones released in the last year target both MagSafe and Qi2.

At the time of writing, the only non-iPhone to have Qi2 compatibility is the HMD Skyline; if Qi2 is so beneficial, why don’t more phones support it? We can’t say for sure, but an educated guess would be the cost. Smartphone margins can be pretty slim, and adding Qi2 support will cost money in more ways than we might initially expect. Aside from the material costs of adding magnets, the phones must be redesigned.

Smartphones are planned out years in advance, which is why we’ve already had leaks about the Pixel 11, which is set to launch in 2026. Using that, it would be reasonable to assume that most of the 2024 smartphones we’re using started development in 2021, long before Qi2 was announced. The HMD Skyline has a removable back, and it was designed around repairability, likely making it easier to add Qi2 support.

Samsung has another challenge to face, though — the S Pen, which has become a quintessential part of Samsung’s brand identity, and the people who use it would never want to give it up. Cases containing Qi2 magnets have been popular this year, adding support for magnetic accessories to phones that don’t have it built in. The Galaxy S24 Ultra has a lot of these cases available, but they can interfere with the S Pen, making it unresponsive.

This is a challenge Samsung must overcome before we see Qi2 support in its devices.

Should Qi2 support factor into your next purchase?

Right now, the answer is no. It’s hard to make Qi2 a requirement for your next phone when only one Android phone has it. As more devices eventually come with Qi2 support, it can become a more important feature to look at. Until then, at least you can use Qi2 accessories with the proper case.