Twelve South ButterFly SE is a minimalist 2-in-1 charger with Qi2

Twelve South has announced the ButterFly SE, its minimalist Qi2 travel charger for the iPhone, Android, Apple Watch and AirPods owners.

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Twelve South released the ButterFly charger for simultaneous wireless charging of an iPhone via MagSafe and Apple Watch in December 2023. The new ButterFly SE still has that minimalist design with two magnetic sides connected by a small strap in the middle. The biggest news is support for the latest Qi2 charging protocol, making the new ButterFly SE suitable for both Apple and Android owners. You can pre-order the new ButterFly SE via the Twelve South web store or Amazon.

Qi2 brings MagSafe features as Apple has contributed MagSafe specification to the Qi2 standard. And dropping MagSafe has lowered the price from $130 to $100 as Twelve South no longer has to pay Apple any MagSafe licensing fees. iPhone owners stand to lose nothing as Qi2 chargers bring the magic of MagSafe like magnetic connection, device alignment and 15W charging (iOS 17.4 or later required).

Twelve South ButterFly vs. ButterFly SE: What’s the difference?

When unfolded, the ButterFly SE features a 15W Qi2 charging mat on one side. You can use it to charge your iPhone or Android phone, AirPods Pro, third-generation AirPods, and AirPods with the wireless charging case. The other side holds a 5W Apple Watch charging puck that supports fast charging capability.

The ButterFly SE is available in three color finishes (Matte Black, White, and Pink). The original only comes in Matte Black. Both accessories have the exact same dimensions and weight. The ButterFly includes a one-meter braided black USB-C cable, a 30W power adapter, swappable plugs (US, UK, EU, and AU) and a carrying bag in the box. The ButterFly SE only ships with a color-matched braided cable.

The ButterFly and ButterFly SE can prop up your iPhone, doubling as a StandBy viewing stand, and support Nightstand Mode on the Apple Watch.

Qi, Qi2 and MagSafe compatibility

For anyone wondering, Qi2 and MagSafe are interoperable. Qi2 is also backward-compatible with devices that support the previous Qi standard. In that case, however, the charging speed drops to 7.5W. All iPhones with MagSafe (the iPhone 12 and newer) support 15W charging via Qi2. Android phones with Qi2 support are coming, but none besides the HMD Skyline are available yet.