The next Pixel phone won’t charge as slowly as previous models. Starting with the original Pixel in 2016, Google has shipped an 18W USB-C charger in the box with each Pixel phone. Google, like Apple and Samsung, has been averse to shipping faster chargers, instead opting to stick with the same 18W USB PD charger year after year. That will likely change this year with the launch of the Pixel 6 Pro, as XDA can confirm that at least one model supports 33W wired charging.
Last month, leaker Yogesh Brar told 91Mobiles that the upcoming Pixel 6 series will support 33W charging, so this may not be the first time you’ve heard this news. However, it’s the first time we’re reporting on it, because the evidence presented in the 91Mobiles report was a bit shaky. The leaker claimed that their “sources at Google” spotted 33W charging bricks at the company’s HQ in Mountain View, but they didn’t explicitly confirm if those chargers were actually for the new Pixel phones. Furthermore, the leaker doesn’t have an established track record when it comes to Pixel leaks, so we were hesitant to take him at his word. Thanks to our own source, who we can confirm has access to a real Pixel 6 Pro, we can now corroborate that the phone will indeed support 33W charging.
Many countries have regulatory agencies that oversee the sale of electronics with communications capabilities. Without their stamp of approval, phone makers can’t ship their phones with certain radio frequency bands enabled. In the U.S., this process is overseen by the FCC, while in Taiwan, the equivalent regulatory agency is the NCC. While certifying the Pixel 6 Pro for use in Taiwan, Google seemingly had to also submit the phone’s supported charging speeds. The phone’s supported charging speeds will appear in the regulatory label found in Settings > About Phone or on the box.
On the left, you can see the regulatory label that certifies the Pixel 6 Pro for use in Taiwan, and on the right, you can see the (currently redacted) certification filing from the NCC’s website. At the bottom of the regulatory label, we can see that the Pixel 6 Pro will support the following charging speeds: 5V/3A (15W), 9V/2A (18W), 9V/3A (27W), and 11V/3A (33W).
Below, you can see the regulatory labels for all 3 models of the Pixel 6 Pro. Only one of these models was certified by the NCC, so we can’t explicitly confirm if the other models will also support 33W charging. However, it’s unlikely for there to be a difference in charging speeds between these 3 models, so it’s safe to assume they all will support 33W charging.
Regardless of the model you buy or what region you live in, Google won’t be shipping a 33W charger in the box with the Pixel 6 or 6 Pro. The company will likely sell the 33W charger separately, though we don’t know how much it’ll cost. Rumors suggest that Google will also be selling a new Pixel Stand alongside the Pixel 6; the new wireless charger could offer 23W wireless charging speeds, according to a listing from a retail database spotted by AndroidPolice last month.
While the new 33W wired and 23W wireless chargers are relatively slow compared to the chargers offered by other smartphone makers like Xiaomi, there’s an argument to be made about the deleterious effects of ultra-fast charging on a phone’s battery. By sticking with the tried-and-true USB PD PPS standard and a slower 33W charging speed, the Pixel 6 Pro’s 5000mAh battery likely won’t need to be replaced for years to come. Couple that with the rumored five years of software support thanks to the Google Tensor chip, and the Pixel 6 Pro is shaping up to be a phone that lasts for years.
Featured image: Silver Pixel 6 Pro next to Google’s 18W USB-C Charger
