Google is taking time this week to explain how charging works. Why is this necessary? Because many people including us believe that the latest Pixel 6 device supports 30W wired charging. Since we are now discovering thanks to testing, this is not the case and these phones are not capable of charging speeds above 23W. But that’s right, Google, go ahead and continue marketing your 30W wall charger alongside the Pixel 6 lineup to confuse everyone.
Some people seem to have taken this issue rather seriously, so to help clear the air, Google has literally posted an article on how charging works for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. Because nothing changes at the end of the day and these phones will still only charge at 23W, I'll give you a lot of details. You can always read Google's full post, but below I will provide the important things.
With regard to the wall charger, Google notes that it will make no difference between the Pixel 6 and the Pixel 6 Pro.
Regardless of the power coming from the wall plug, the actual power supplied through a full charge cycle varies during a single charge. The rate of charge at any given moment depends on factors such as battery cell and system design, temperature, system usage, and charge conditions.
Google also explains why these phones seem to be able to charge forever, especially for those who use adaptive charging. This is called "battery longevity".
We have optimized Pixel's lithium-ion batteries for higher charges when battery levels are low. The Pixel 6 can get up to 50% in about 30 minutes (including Google's 30W USB-C power charger), and can quickly reach 80% in about an hour, depending on device usage and temperature. The maximum power of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro from the wired charger is 21W and 23W respectively. As the battery draws to a close, charging power is gradually reduced to improve battery life.
Pixel can stop charging above 80% under certain conditions and if you turn on adaptive charging, Pixel can optimize the charging rate for slow charging overnight.
Wired Charging vs. Wireless Charging
While the Pixel 6 lineup can charge wirelessly at 23W (this is what Google claims), Google makes it sound like it's pointless to do so. Okay, maybe not meaningless, but certainly less efficient than what is already known about wireless chargers in general. In the following, Google is about to push its own 30W charger, which supports the new PD 3.0 PPS charging standard.
The Pixel 6 / Pro is designed to work with existing USB PD and BC1.2 wall chargers. However, it can charge more efficiently with a charger like our 30W USB-C power adapter that supports the new USB PD 3.0 PPS standard.
Wireless charging is generally less efficient, and therefore slower than wired charging. The new Pixel Stand is designed with a 30W USB-C charger to enable fast, convenient wireless charging, heat dissipation with an active cooling fan. Together, the new Pixel Stand and Google's 30W USB-C power adapter can provide the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro with the maximum power needed for fast charging.
If Google is transparent from the start and reveals the maximum supported charging speed of devices, then I would be perfectly fine with everything. Instead, as consumers we had to assume that the phones support 30W charging, as Google has indicated on product pages with its new charger. The glasses never said 30W specifically, but they did say "21W and 23W". It's bad for us to guess, but bad for Google because it can be considered misleading.
