Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro have brought numerous technical upgrades compared to the previous generation model and one of the improvements concerns fast charging, which however could be even less clear than what can be deduced from the official statements of the Mountain View house.
Charging of the Google Pixel 6 is slower than expected
When Google is involved, oddities are rarely lacking and the Pixel 6s are no exception: between accidental calls, apps that disappear and the need for some improvement, the one we are talking about today is just the latest in an already rather long list.
On paper, the Google Pixel 6 series is expected to support fast charging up to 30W, up from 18W on the previous Google Pixel 5. A figure that is not extreme when compared to those of some competitors, but enough to overcome the flagship models of the giant’s Apple and Samsung in one fell swoop.
On paper precisely, because in reality, the latest Made by Google smartphones seem to recharge more slowly than stated by Big G. In promotional content and on the support page, Google states that both Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro can charge the battery up to 50% in just 30 minutes using a 30W charger (here’s our guide on how to choose the best one), which be it the official one from Google or any USB-C PD PPS charger.
From this data, it should be deduced that both smartphones support fast charging at 30 W, however the in-depth test conducted by Android Authority on the charging speed of the Google Pixel 6 highlights very different data. According to these tests, using the official $ 25 charger, Google Pixel 6 Pro would not go beyond 22 W, which is just 4 W more than Google Pixel 5 and 8 W less than the (more or less) official figure. As a result, Google’s top-of-the-range 5,000 mAh battery would have taken around 110 minutes to fully recharge, and this with all adaptive settings off.
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In addition to this, the test shows that the maximum speed is only reached up to about 50% of the charge cycle, after which it drops significantly leading to an average of 13 W for a full charge. The fact that recharging occurs more slowly as it approaches completion, however, is part of the norm of modern fast-charging systems and serves to preserve the longevity of the battery. Google’s choice to go down to 2.5W for the last 15% charge, however, is particularly conservative.
The Android Authority test then continues by comparing Google Pixel 6 Pro with one of its most famous competitors, namely Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (have you seen our comparison with the Apple iPhone 13 Pro ?). Even the Samsung flagship offers a 5,000 mAh battery and the charging speed of 25 W should put it behind the Google Pixel 6 Pro. The theoretical data is however brutally denied by the field test, which sees the smartphone Made by Google almost employ double the rival’s time to complete the reload.
At present, Google has not yet provided an official comment on this behavior. The choice of Big G could be dictated by the desire to keep temperatures at bay and preserve battery health for as long as possible, so as to effectively allow buyers to keep Google Pixel 6 and Google Pixel 6 Pro for the duration of the long guaranteed software support.
Whatever the reason, it would undoubtedly be appropriate for the Mountain View giant to clarify, also because the data reported at the beginning is never openly stated: Google limits itself to saying that the Pixel 6 can recharge up to 50% in 30 minutes. with a 30W charger, without ever specifying whether the two smartphones support 30W or not.