I don’t know about you, but when Google announced the Pixel 9 phones, it seemed that they all got upgraded to 45W charging. However, that’s not quite the case.
It would add up, considering Google launched a new 45W charger (£29.99/$29.99) alongside the phones and advertised “faster charging”. However, I’ve dug into the spec sheets and discovered that none of the Pixel 9 phones can hit this speed.
In fact, only the Pixel 9 Pro XL can really take advantage of this new charger. If you care about charging speeds, here’s how fast each of them can go wired:
- Pixel 9 – up to 27W
- Pixel 9 Pro – up to 27 W
- Pixel 9 Pro XL – up to 37 W
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold – up to 21W
And while we’re here, these are the wireless charging speeds.
- Pixel 9 – up to 15W
- Pixel 9 Pro – up to 21W
- Pixel 9 Pro XL – up to 23W
- Pixel 9 Pro Fold – ‘Qi-certified’
The wireless charging figures are based on using the second-gen Google Pixel Stand (£69/$79), otherwise, you get 12W via Qi. The Pixel 9 phones do not have Qi 2.
It’s not that Google is lying about the charging speeds, and doesn’t overtly state them as supporting 45W, but it’s also not very clear without looking closely. We certainly got the impression that the phones had been upgraded to 45W this year.
The store suggests the new charger as an additional purchase (the phones are only supplied with a cable). Plus, when all the quoted charging times, such as “up to 55% in about 30 minutes” for the regular Pixel 9, are tested with the 45W charger it implies you need this charger to get those results.
However, as you can see, the Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro and Pixel 9 Pro Fold will all be fine with Google’s 30W charger, though it’s been removed from the official store.
Read our full Pixel 9 Pro XL review to see what we thought of the only phone which will benefit from the 45W charger.
Interested in buying one? See our guide to the best Pixel 9 series deals.
Author: Chris Martin, Reviews Editor, Tech Advisor
Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been at Tech Advisor for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.