The Pixel 6 has long been Google's most competitive hardware release, but the company still lags when it comes to fast charging. Google says the Pixel 6 can charge at 30 watts which is slower than the best Android phones in its price range.
Android Authority's Robert Triggs says the Pixel 6 doesn't even live up to the 30 W power claimed on its spec sheet. In testing, the Triggs only got the phone to peak at 22 WATTS — and even then, it didn't last very long. In his tests, it took 111 minutes to fully charge the Pixel 6 Pro's 5,000mah battery from 0% to 100%, even using the official "30 W" Google adapter.
Samsung is a good counterexample. The 5,000mah Galaxy S21 Ultra can charge from 0 to 100 in 62 minutes, 49 minutes faster than the "30 W" Pixel 6 — though Samsung only touts a "25 W" quick charge. Triggs says the Galaxy S21 Ultra peaks at 28 W during charging — faster than advertised.
Google isn't completely lying to the Pixel 6's charging speed, but the company has some misleading language on its website. The official specification sheet states that the phone can be "charged to 50% in approximately 30 minutes — using a Google 30W USB-C charger." The small print at the bottom of the page also notes that "actual charging speeds may be slower," but that doesn't mean Google's marketing is entirely honest. Triggs' tests show that the phone does charge to 50% in 30 minutes. Quick charging is easily the most influential smartphone innovation in recent years. While most phones fluctuate slightly in specifications from year to year, quick charging on devices like the 65W OnePlus 9 Pro has changed the way people use their smartphones. You don't need to urgently charge your phone every night because you can quickly charge the battery from zero in half an hour.The OnePlus 9 Pro charges so fast that you just plug it in for a few minutes when it gets low before you head out the door. You probably won't be charging from scratch, so you won't even need 30 minutes — just plugging the phone in for a few minutes when you increase your battery power by 1% every 18 seconds on average.
There are concerns that the extra heat from fast charging can degrade battery performance more quickly, but we haven't seen much hard evidence that this is happening. However, quick charging is optional. If you're worried about long-term battery degradation, you can always use a slower charger.It turns out that having the option of fast charging when it's really fast, is a game-changer.
Samsung is a good counterexample. The 5,000mah Galaxy S21 Ultra can charge from 0 to 100 in 62 minutes, 49 minutes faster than the "30 W" Pixel 6 — though Samsung only touts a "25 W" quick charge. Triggs says the Galaxy S21 Ultra peaks at 28 W during charging — faster than advertised.
Google isn't completely lying to the Pixel 6's charging speed, but the company has some misleading language on its website. The official specification sheet states that the phone can be "charged to 50% in approximately 30 minutes — using a Google 30W USB-C charger." The small print at the bottom of the page also notes that "actual charging speeds may be slower," but that doesn't mean Google's marketing is entirely honest. Triggs' tests show that the phone does charge to 50% in 30 minutes. Quick charging is easily the most influential smartphone innovation in recent years. While most phones fluctuate slightly in specifications from year to year, quick charging on devices like the 65W OnePlus 9 Pro has changed the way people use their smartphones. You don't need to urgently charge your phone every night because you can quickly charge the battery from zero in half an hour.The OnePlus 9 Pro charges so fast that you just plug it in for a few minutes when it gets low before you head out the door. You probably won't be charging from scratch, so you won't even need 30 minutes — just plugging the phone in for a few minutes when you increase your battery power by 1% every 18 seconds on average.
There are concerns that the extra heat from fast charging can degrade battery performance more quickly, but we haven't seen much hard evidence that this is happening. However, quick charging is optional. If you're worried about long-term battery degradation, you can always use a slower charger.It turns out that having the option of fast charging when it's really fast, is a game-changer.
