Summary
- Alongside the launch of the Pixel 10 series, Google is introducing the world to its first-party Pixelsnap ecosystem.
- Pixelsnap relies on the Qi2 wireless charging protocol, with a ring of magnets outlined by the standard’s Magnetic Power Profile (MPP).
- Google’s Pixelsnap ecosystem brings Qi2 to the forefront within the Android world, bringing a true rival to Apple’s MagSafe standard.
Google has officially taken the wraps off its Pixel 10 series of Android handsets, and one of the more compelling hardware additions it’s bringing to the table this year is a built-in array of magnets designed to facilitate more intuitive wireless charging. Implemented across all Pixel 10 models, Google is branding this magnetic technology as Pixelsnap, though its underlying technology is based on the Qi2 standard.
In addition to the Pixel 10 series itself leaning into magnetic charging, Google is also releasing a set of three corresponding Pixelsnap accessories to go along with its latest flagship phones. These first-party accessories include the Pixelsnap Charger, the Pixelsnap Charger with Stand, and the Pixelsnap Ring Stand.
The Pixelsnap Charger is listed at $40, and it’s a simple magnetic wireless charging puck in the same vein as Apple’s official MagSafe charger. It looks rather similar visually, with a white colorway, a grippy, padded puck surface, and USB Type-C on the other end. The Pixelsnap Charger with Stand, meanwhile, costs $70, and ships with a stand that the included charging puck sits within. Lastly, the Pixelsnap case ring starts at $50, and it serves as a PopSocket-style circular gizmo that unfolds into a kickstand on demand.
Each of these Pixelsnap accessories is designed with up to 25W of power delivery in mind, and they should work with other Qi2-certified devices without issue thanks to the in-built support for the wireless charging protocol. Google is also releasing a set of first-party Pixel 10 series cases that feature Pixelsnap magnets, allowing for some added protection without sacrificing magnets built into its latest Pixels.
Qi2, with a side of Google branding
PixelSnap bridges the mobile ecosystem divide
Under the hood, Pixelsnap makes use of the Wireless Power Consortium’s latest Qi2 technology, along with its corresponding Magnetic Power Profile (MPP) magnet design. First spearheaded by Apple with its magnetically-featured iPhone 12 series, the company’s MagSafe later became the foundation for the open Qi2 specification, which would pave the way for Google Pixelsnap and other alternatives.
We’ve been waiting quite some time for Qi2 to make its way onto Android phones, and it was disappointing to see the likes of OnePlus and Samsung forgo built-in magnetic wireless charging support in favor of magnetic cases on the OnePlus 13 and the Galaxy S25 series, respectively. Now, with Google setting a new precedent within the Android space, there’s a good chance that other hardware makers will accelerate their hardware transition to native Qi2 with magnets.
On the iPhone side, there’s a growing ecosystem of MagSafe and magnetic Qi2 accessories on the market, ranging from power banks, to charging stands, and everything in between. With Pixelsnap, we now have a genuine first-party alternative to MagSafe with a brand name of its own, separate from Qi2 itself. If Pixelsnap is successful in incentivizing OEMs to engineer their phones to include built-in magnets, seamless cross-platform wireless charging could finally become a reality, without the need to resort to cases or magnetic ring adapters.
