On August 20, Google unveiled PixelSnap, its marketing name for magnetic wireless charging support in all new Pixel 10 smartphones.
That sounds familiar, right? Specifically, it resembles Apple’s MagSafe magnetic wireless charging, introduced five years ago in 2020 in the new design of iPhone 12.
But if we go back 8 years ago, turns out Google was actually the first one to support wireless charging in their Nexus 4 in 2012.
So when did this story actually start, and who was the first?
Both MagSafe and PixelSnap are built on the Qi standard, but wireless charging was discovered much earlier, rooted in historic physics and design breakthroughs.
History of wireless charging technology
In 1831, Michael Faraday discovered electromagnetic induction—magnetic fields transferring power across coils, the core of wireless charging.
Later, in the 1890s, Nikola Tesla pushed this further with wireless power experiments, inspiring later tech.
In modern times, the first mass-market device with wireless charging wasn’t a phone—it was Braun’s electric toothbrush. The Braun brand, known for innovative design, introduced its Oral-B electric toothbrush with a wireless charging dock using inductive coils in the early 1990s.
The next company that broadly adopted magnetic charging was Apple. On January 6, 2006 Apple introduced MagSafe. But wait, the first iPhone was revealed in more than a year later? No mistake, it was introduced with the first generation of MacBook Pro laptops! The MagSafe charging connector was designed to attach magnetically, detaching safely if tugged, to prevent damage of the laptop or its charging port.
Ten years later, in 2016, Apple began phasing out MagSafe charging in favor of USB-C, a move many fans disliked. And in 2021, MagSafe returned for the new MacBook Pro with M-series chips.
But what about wireless charging for phones? The Qi standard, developed by the Wireless Power Consortium, was first published in 2010 as an open standard for inductive wireless charging.
In November 2012, Nokia released its Lumia 820 Windows Phone, that was one of the first devices that supported Qi wireless charging, which required a special charging shell. Later, other Lumia models joined the early adoption of Qi charging as well.
But was Nokia the first early adopter of wireless charging? Not quite!
Three years prior, in 2009, Palm Pre used a proprietary magnetic wireless charging system called Touchstone. It was capable of charging a Palm Pre, delivering 1W of power, and came with a matte black magnetic back panel for the Palm Pre.
To me, the Palm Pre feels like the first predecessor to MagSafe and PixelSnap in today’s Google and Apple smartphones.
In fact, Palm was a very innovative company at the time and inspired Apple not only for MagSafe. Back in 2009, their not-so-popular webOS introduced user interface innovations like
- app-switching, which allowed swiping between apps like cards and closing apps by swiping up
- rubber-band animation for the bounce-back effect when scrolling the contents of the screen
- and swipe gestures for phone navigation
We see all of these in today’s iOS and Android operating systems, making Palm a pioneer of both magnetic wireless charging and the foundations of modern mobile OS usability.
Apple MagSafe
Now, let’s get back to the subject—magnetic charging. Apple uses the MagSafe name for both the MacBook’s magnetic charger and the iPhone’s wireless charger, despite their differences. Does it mean that Apple has other ideas in mind and will throw them under the MagSafe umbrella brand? Let’s see!
It’s also interesting that Apple introduced MagSafe in 2020, just 18 months after canceling their versatile and innovative Qi wireless charger, — AirPower, — which never reached Apple Store shelves.
It was announced in 2017 and presented during Apple’s keynote as a universal wireless charging mat capable of charging iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods—all at the same time!
But eventually, it was canceled due to overheating issues, according to multiple reports from Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and other sources.
So I believe that MagSafe for iPhones was Apple’s Plan B, and it worked. Later, besides iPhones, Apple added MagSafe support to AirPods cases but not to Apple Watches, which are too small for magnets, as weight is critical for wearables.
The main difference between regular Qi wireless charging and MagSafe is magnets: they help align the phone perfectly with the charging coil hidden inside the iPhone’s back panel.
But wait, that sounds exactly like what Google did in their latest Pixel 10 phones—a magnetic wireless charging that ensures grip and alignment for top charging performance.
Google introduces PixelSnap for Pixel 10 lineup
At the Pixel event Google has openly stated that Pixel 10 phones will work “perfectly fine with Apple MagSafe accessories.” Google even used the A-word “on stage”—just not the one you think!
Although, what Google forgot to mention that with the PixelSnap they had to ditch the Battery sharing. That wasn’t a huge hit as not that many folks used it, but personally for me it was useful to share some battery juice between my Pixel 8 and my AirPods 3 case with wireless charging.
By the way, if you’ve made this far, consider subscribing to this channel. Let’s continue.
So, are MagSafe and PixelSnap the exact same thing? Are Pixel 10 devices truly 100% compatible with MagSafe accessories? Actually, not really!
And just like in many other things related to Apple, the difference is the famous ecosystem. Since Apple makes both hardware and software, they’re capable of impressive integration of these two parts.
So with MagSafe, Apple adds charm by displaying custom animations when you snap MagSafe accessories, like cases or wallets, onto your iPhone.
When you attach a MagSafe case to your iPhone, you see an animation matching the case’s color. Useful? Not at all. Nice touch? Definitely, an extra mile from Apple invested in the luxury user experience.
And when you snap on a MagSafe wallet for the first time, a pairing animation, similar to AirPods, appears, triggered by the built-in NFC, no magnets involved.
Additionally, Apple’s MagSafe wallet includes Find My support, helping you locate a lost wallet if the magnets fail, such as when you slip your iPhone with an attached wallet into a jeans pocket.
But if you use an Apple MagSafe wallet with a Pixel, you’ll miss the extra features that make the experience so polished.
On the other hand, the majority of MagSafe-compatible accessories come from other brands like well-known Belkin or Anker, which don’t offer any extra features, making the user experience unified between iPhones and Google Pixel phones.
Wireless charging speed comparison
Now, let’s talk about charging speed. The first Qi standard, published 2010, allowed phones to charge at up to 5W, which is way higher than the Palm Pre’s 1W. Later, Qi2 extended that limit to 15W, and the Qi2.2 increased max charging speed to 25W.
Google offers a 15W wireless charging speed for most of their latest Pixel phones, besides the flagship Pixel 10 Pro XL, which supports faster wireless charging at 25W based on the Qi2.2 standard, and matches the last-year’s iPhone 16 charging speed on a MagSafe charger.
But Apple is still ahead with the iPhone 17 lineup, offering a 25W charging speed in iPhone 17, 17 Pro & 17 Pro Max, regardless if you use a MagSafe or CHI 2.2 wireless charger.
But that’s so far from the limit, and it’s been proven by Chinese smartphone manufacturers like Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, Honor, and OnePlus. In fact, They dwarf both Apple iPhones and Google Pixels, often achieving 50–80W, or even 100W, wireless charging. How is that possible? For sure, not with any Qi charger, but only with proprietary standards like Oppo’s AirVOOC or Xiaomi’s HyperCharge.
You might wonder how they push these limits and achieve such speeds while avoiding overheating?
For example, the Oppo Find X5 Pro’s battery can be charged wirelessly to 100% in 53 minutes by using several techniques:
- Using high current (instead of high voltage) for efficient power delivery
- Optimized coil design, using a double wireless coil to increase the sensing range, ensuring power transfer and even allowing a slight misalignment. This helps reduce energy loss, which contributes to heat generation in Qi chargers.
- Of course, magnets, using precise alignment, just like MagSafe or PixelSnap
- Active cooling—Oppo’s chargers come with cooling fans and vents, which keep the phone cool at slower speeds and prevent overheating at higher charging speeds.
- Safety measures, such as reducing charging speed if the temperature rises above an unsafe level, which is around 40°C
Final verdict
Google and Apple have much to learn from Chinese brands, and I’m confident they will. Apple is always playing the safest bets, so I believe it just takes time to verify which techniques will work on a large scale.
For now, Google is learning from Apple, adopting not only its magnetic charging approach but also software features like Nightstand Mode for Pixels on a magnetic charger, which Apple introduced with iOS 17 in September 2023 alongside the iPhone 15.
| MagSafe | PixelSnap | |
| Charging Speed | ✅ 25W | 15-25W |
| Compatibility | ✅ MagSafe + Qi2 | Qi2 |
| Ecosystem | ✅ Deep | Limited |
| Extra features | ✅ MagSafe wallets & cases, Night stand | Night stand (apple was first) |
So, let’s wrap this up:
- The magnetic charging technology is getting more popular and is not going anywhere. It’s obvious because mobile accessories brands grow their product portfolios, and Chinese manufacturers find more ways to make wireless charging work at unbelievable speeds.
- PixelSnap, which builds on Apple’s solution, is matching it in charging speed on the Pixel 10 Pro XL but lacks extra features like custom animations and full support for Apple’s MagSafe wallets.
- Also, now there’s one less reason to choose an iPhone over a new Pixel, as most MagSafe-compatible chargers, power banks, and accessories will likely work with any Pixel 10 phone.
Great ideas are worth spreading. In 2009, Palm Pre introduced magnetic charging, inspiring Apple’s MagSafe. Today, Google’s PixelSnap builds on that same idea. There’s no shame in Google following along—it’s how tech grows, from Palm’s bouncy animations to today’s magnetic chargers. PixelSnap offers new possibilities for Google Pixel users, but MagSafe’s refinement keeps it slightly ahead for now.
Whatever the future holds, PixelSnap and MagSafe are pushing magnetic tech forward, building on a shared legacy. Competition drives progress, so I’m happy Google jumped into this game.
Who’s to say? Next year, we might see iPhones and Pixels boasting beefier wattages, or perhaps groundbreaking use cases we can’t yet fathom—think IoT synergy, long-distance charging, or something entirely new.
Stay tuned! Since you’ve made it till the end, subscribe to our YouTube channel for more in-depth reviews like this one!