Faster charging confirmed for Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro

By Michael Allison September 20, 2021

Google’s Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are reportedly getting an upgrade in the most used part of the smartphone experience — the charger. Google has previously equipped Pixel phones with chargers that support up to 18-watt charging speeds, but the company is raising the threshold to 33W with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, according to a new report from XDA Developers.

The new report echoes an older one, albeit with a more solid foundation. It is based on the Taiwanese certification for the Pixel 6 Pro rather than accessories and shows information that Google would need to give to regulators in order to get their phone applied. The below is purportedly the Taiwanese regulatory label, showing supported speeds of 5 volts/3 amps (15W), 9V/2A (18W), 9V/3A (27W), and 11V/3A (33W). You’ll probably need to shell out a little extra if you want to take advantage of this new and faster charging though since the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro likely won’t come with included chargers.

XDA Developers

While the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will charge faster than the iPhone 13’s 22W, it’s not going to touch many of the more specced out Android phones which offer a range of speeds that go as high as 120W as we’ve seen on the Xiaomi 11T Pro. That is not to say that it won’t be a competitive experience. Like Apple, Google focuses on the overall package rather than brute specs to outcompete rivals. The 33W speed is pretty fast for most people, and the large battery paired with Google’s software optimizations should keep it off the charger for a day or more, as has been demonstrated in the Pixel 5a 5G. Google is trying to strike a balance between speedy charging speeds and battery depletion over the lifetime of the phone.

While Google has said to expect the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to release in the fall, it has been reported to be opening for preorders around October 19, a bit later than the company’s Pixel phones normally launch which could be accounted for by supply line issues.

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Michael Allison

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A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…

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