Google finally clarifies the slow charging times for the Pixel 6
The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro Pixel have been released to a lot of praise from critics and buyers alike. However, some have complained about the speed of charging the device, and Google has finally clarified.
Android Authority first discovered that the Pixel 6 does not achieve the full speed that a 30W charger provides. I found that the phone was consuming about 22 watts of power, which is definitely not what people were hoping to see from their brand new phones.
Google addressed the issue in its Community Support post, and the company basically says the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are designed to pull 21 watts and 23 watts of power, respectively.
As much as phones consume less power than charging bricks can produce, Google says it has chosen battery life rather than fast charging. A Google spokesperson explains: "A battery can be designed for high power density, or to provide fast charging power, which requires capacity swaps to minimize battery degradation."
Google also says it has improved the phone to charge faster when the battery is low and slower when full. The spokesperson said: "We have optimized the Pixel lithium-ion battery for high charge rates when the battery level is low. The Pixel 6 can get up to 50% in about 30 minutes (with Google USB-C charger for 30W), and quickly reaches 80% in about an hour, depending on device usage and temperature."
declarations
Google doesn't technically block anything advertised from the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, as the company doesn't actually state that the devices are capable of charging 30W. However, offering a 30W charger for the phone misleads buyers a bit, as you think that offering this charger means that the phone is compatible.
Between this and the slow fingerprint scanner, it seems that Google's Pixel 6 may not be as perfect as we initially thought, but it's still a great phone.