Android 15 may support NFC wireless charging, which is slower than the Qi standard but requires much smaller hardware

The Qi standard is typically adopted to provide smartphones with the ability to wirelessly charge their batteries. However, future devices capable of running Android 15 may come with other wireless charging methods. That is support for NFC wireless charging. According to the latest findings, Google is figuring out how to bring this technology to supported models and bring some level of convenience, regardless of whether this approach is inferior to the Qi standard.

NFC wireless charging requires smaller hardware to work, making it ideal for compact smartphones

For Qi-enabled devices with larger wireless charging coils, NFC wireless charging may solve this challenge through the same technology that facilitates contactless payments. The NFC wireless charging (WLC) specification was announced in May 2020, but it has not yet been widely adopted as charging speeds are significantly slower than the Qi standard. The charging antenna can be shrunk down to 1cm in size and has excellent flexibility, making it easy to fit into small devices such as smart watches, Bluetooth trackers, and wireless earphones.

Android 15 is expected to launch later this year, and we could see support for NFC wireless charging and a wave of WLC-enabled accessories coming to market. According to Android Authority’s Mishaal Rahman, Android 15 Beta 1 includes his WLC-related additions to the operating system’s NFC API. The report states that Google tried to introduce WLC support in late 2021, nearly a year and a half after the spec was first released, but later canceled all progress.

There’s no explanation as to why Google is reviving the abandoned project, but it’s not just compact smartphones that could benefit from this addition, but other devices such as Bluetooth trackers that can later be paired with Android devices. The same goes for products. Integrating NFC wireless charging reduces maintenance costs and eases charging of these trackers and other accessories. However, it’s one thing for Google to add support through software, it’s another thing for Google to provide it in the form of functionality to other products. I hope we get further answers to this in his next I/O keynote.

News source: Android Authority