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Pixel 6 battery charging speed might beat the iPhone

Updated Aug 24th, 2021 11:02AM EDT
Pixel 6 Charging Speed
Image: Google

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Google has once again unveiled the newest Pixel series long before the expected reveal. A few weeks ago, the company confirmed the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro names, showcasing the brand new design and introducing the new Tensor processor. Google also listed some of the phones’ main specs, teasing that the new Pixels will be high-end devices and will be priced accordingly. Google did not share all of the Pixel 6’s secrets. We don’t have all the hardware details, the prices, or the actual release date. But there’s already plenty of reasons to get excited about the Pixel line. If you need more reasons to look forward to the Pixel 6 series, there’s just the kind of leak that might do it. The Pixel 6 series might support battery charging speeds faster than the iPhone.

Google and Apple have been lagging behind their competitors when it comes to battery charging speeds. The Pixel 5 can recharge at up to 18W, while the iPhone 12 supports 20W charging. The iPhone 12 also does 15W MagSafe charging. The Pixel 5 does support 12W Qi charging. That’s faster than the iPhone’s default 7.5W wireless charging for regular Qi chargers.

Pixel 6 battery charging speed

Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone makers have long surpassed 30W wired charging speeds. Some of them have topped 60W speeds, approaching and exceeding 100W. Wireless charging is also a lot speedier on those devices. The downside is that battery health will take a hit. The more you recharge on the fastest battery charging tech available, the quicker the battery health will drop.

Google did not reveal the official charging speeds for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, but there’s a new leak for that. 91mobiles claims that a reliable leaker obtained information about the Pixel 6 charging abilities. Apparently, the Pixel 6 phones will support 33W fast charging right out of the box. Sources from Google have seen 33W charging bricks at Google’s headquarters. These chargers are only for testing purposes, however.

Google said earlier this week that the Pixel 5a would be the last phone to ship with a free charger in the box. This implied the Pixel 6 series will be the first Pixel phones to ship without a charging brick. Even if they did get one, 33W battery charging speeds would require a different charger that has to be purchased separately.

The report makes no mention of wireless charging speeds for the Pixel 6 series. Also, we have no idea how large the Pixel 6 batteries will be. The Pixel 6 Pro will be the obvious choice for buyers who want a bigger battery pack. But the Pixel 6 Pro will also feature a larger screen that might consume more energy, especially when running at 120Hz.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.