Google’s Pixel Phones Have A Charging Speed Problem That Needs Fixing ASAP

Google’s Pixel phones and Samsung’s Galaxy phones have slow charging speeds. We comment on this every time we review devices from either company, and they continue to meet our expectations by refusing to make any meaningful improvements to their phones’ charging speeds. When OnePlus continually produces amazing devices that can handle a 80W charging speed, the “fast” 27W charging of the Pixel 9 is pitiful by comparison.

Out of the failings a modern smartphone can have, charging speed is admittedly one of the least important. Build quality, connectivity, and performance all have bigger impacts on our day-to-day lives. While it’s undeniably useful to have a phone that can go from zero to full charge in ten minutes, it’s not a necessary feature. But for Google’s sake, it needs to treat this feature as a problem that needs fixing ASAP.

Related

What do Pixel phones offer in 2025?

Gemini and….

Since introducing the Tensor chip in the Pixel 6, Google has marketed its Pixel phones as leaders in the machine-learning (ML) space. Its ML algorithms helped the Pixel phones become the best smartphones for photography you can buy, and Pixel-exclusive apps like Recorder showed how Pixel phones would offer features that you wouldn’t get on any other Android phone.

However, things have slowed down. The Pixel 10 looks to just offer minor upgrades over the Pixel 9, following in the tracks of Samsung, which barely bothered to make the Galaxy S25 different from its predecessor. Google and Samsung appear to be competing for the most underwhelming reveals, while companies like Nothing, OnePlus, and Xiaomi are making bold strides in design, foldables, and photography, respectively.

Google is not resting on its laurels. It’s been striving to bring new and exciting products, but unfortunately, they all fall under one banner. Gemini is all Google cares about today, but it’s facing far stiffer competition in the ML and AI space than it did in 2021.

Perplexity is reportedly coming to Motorola and Samsung devices as a digital assistant. Nothing has partnered with ChatGPT, and OnePlus introduced AI features in late 2024. Of course, it’ll take some time for the dust of these rapid AI advancements to settle, but it’s clear that Google can no longer claim AI as a unique selling point for its devices..

Fast charging is a simple but practical feature that Pixel phones need

Where are the new features that will benefit us?

Against the backdrop of breakneck AI development and ever-more powerful processors, the arguments around charging speeds may feel quaint. After all, is it a feature that we care about? But in the age where AI is creating problems just to solve them, I want OEMs to fix existing problems instead.

It’s hard to see Google’s recent hardware developments as anything more than an attempt to stay ahead in the AI arms race. The division between Google and Samsung’s devices is becoming increasingly blurred. Stripped-down software used to be a clear benefit of Pixel phones over Galaxy devices, but I’m struggling to see the reasons I picked a Pixel phone through the haze of awkward and unnecessary Gemini features clouding everything else.

Fast charging is the simplest way for Google to show us that it still cares about the user experience. Improvements to connectivity would also have a meaningful effect on the Pixel ecosystem, as well as photography tweaks to reduce the increasingly prevalent “AI-effect” that characterizes modern Pixel photography.

Slow charging speeds are a symptom of an increasingly out-of-touch organization

Google chooses not to develop useful features each year

In 2025, I’m desperate for a phone that just works with no bloat. The Nothing 3a came close to reaching my expectations with its stellar hardware and reasonable price point, but the addition of a dedicated AI button was a step too far. I can turn off AI software versions, but I can’t remove a physical button.

Google is building AI features at the expense of features that would help its phones stand out from the crowd. Fast charging speeds to match OnePlus would help it stand out from Samsung. Greater customizability to allow us to remove At a Glance and the Google search widget would harken back to the freer days of Android. The constant connectivity issues have plagued us for too long, and there’s no end in sight.

What we don’t need are more AI smarts, video stabilization improvements, and worse cameras.

Google cannot win the AI arms race, but it’s not too late to bring us the features we need

The AI arms race cannot be won by any company. Eventually, development will slow down, and the AI assistants that dominate headlines will die or become as everyday as the cameras on our phones. Eventually, Google will start prioritising new features for its hardware. Eventually, Google will scramble to take the initiative again. So why not get a head start now?

Adding fast charging speeds to its Pixel phones is a small but meaningful step Google can take to build its reputation as a company that builds great hardware, not a gimmick-driven organization constantly chasing the next trend. Do I think it will fix its charging speed problem? No, but for its sake, I hope so.

Related