Best charger for Pixel 9 Pro XL

Quirky charging necessities are nothing new. Whether or not it’s OnePlus and OPPO utilizing SuperVOOC to cost their units — and solely their units — at blistering speeds or Apple sticking with its proprietary Lightning port till it was basically pressured to modify to USB-C, it looks like everybody has a trick up their sleeve. Google and Samsung do, too, although we’re used to reaching for a USB PD PPS charger after we check a Galaxy gadget or a Pixel at this level. Or, at the very least, I assumed we had been.

Then, Google launched its Pixel 9 Professional XL, boasting as much as 37W speeds from its brand-new 45W USB-C energy charger. At first, I didn’t assume a lot of it — Google has touted its in-house charging speeds earlier than, however we’ve all the time been in a position to match them from chargers we already had. This time, although, no cube. Regardless of which USB PD PPS charger I attempted, all of them topped out at 27W when paired with Google’s top-end Pixel. So, I bit the bullet, picked up the shiny new charger, and right here we’re.

If nothing else, I like how Google’s 45W USB-C energy charger seems. I imply, that’s not a shock — I have already got an residence stuffed with Google-designed good house merchandise, so why wouldn’t a charger match proper in? In any case, Google already makes use of white, bubble-like chargers on the finish of its Nest Mini and Nest Hub Max cables, so including one other one to the combo makes my setup look a bit of extra in sync.

It most likely helps that I like Google’s different designs, too. I nonetheless carry the Pixel Buds Professional (in a white, spherical case) on the street, and I’ve been on board with the up to date Pixel design since day one. Combine in the truth that Google’s chosen dimension and form for its 45W energy charger stands out from my assortment of black, rectangular chargers, and it’s straightforward to see how this one’s a winner. The distinctive form has one other profit, too: I all the time know which charger to seize when my Pixel 9 Professional XL is working low on juice. In any case, that’s the one telephone that wants this charger to succeed in its peak wired charging pace.

And but, for every part I like about Google’s easy, cutesy design, different components drive me up a wall. It’s only a bit too tall for my shops, that means I’ve to make use of it within the backside socket or flip it the other way up to make use of it within the prime. No less than once I do the latter at an outlet shared with my Nest Mini, the 2 chargers appear to be an exclamation mark, which is enjoyable.

The charger additionally stands proud only a bit too far for my liking, measuring about two inches lengthy regardless of solely having one tiny USB-C port on the underside edge. Granted, it might be worse if the port sat on the aspect, forcing your cable to stay even additional out, however the charger itself is already massive sufficient. Perhaps if Google added a second port — even when it meant splitting the full charging energy — I’d be a bit of extra open to the dimensions. Oh, and the prongs don’t fold, you simply must lug the charger round and hold it secure from something it’d scratch in your backpack.

I do have to offer Google props for utilizing at the very least 47% recycled plastic in its polycarbonate housing and ditching plastic from its packaging — it’s a pleasant contact, contemplating I had to purchase one other plastic charger.

After all, how a charger performs is way extra vital than the way it seems. In any case, that’s what made me seize a brand-new charger for one particular telephone within the first place. On that entrance, at the very least, the 45W USB-C energy charger does its job and does it effectively. After fighting my Pixel 9 Professional XL and several other higher-speed USB PD PPS chargers, I plugged it into this in-house possibility, and it shot proper to the 37W speeds I used to be searching for.

Earlier than I can convey that sense of reduction, I ought to most likely clarify a couple of of the swings and misses I had whereas attempting to cost my Pixel 9 Professional XL. First, I grabbed a 68W Motorola TurboPower charger — which I’ve used on nearly each gadget, together with the Pixel 8 Professional, with out situation — and located that it wouldn’t budge from 9V/3A charging, giving me an output of 27W. It instantly struck me as odd since I knew the identical charger would fill Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Extremely at its full 45W (9v/5A) charge, so it stands to purpose it ought to deal with a decrease 37W pace, proper? Mistaken.

Then, I switched to an much more highly effective charger, a 100W Baseus brick that, on account of its dimension and weight, is especially used to prop up telephones for glamour photographs. This time, I figured, it must attain full pace. I used to be improper as soon as once more. Regardless of its larger capability, the Baseus charger sat on the identical 9V/3A ranking I had simply given up on, working at simply three-quarters of its potential. Double-checking one other USB-C cable with a 5A amperage ranking didn’t assist, both — it was 3A or the freeway.

At this level, I raised the alarm bell to my colleague Rob Triggs, stating simply how confused I used to be that I couldn’t cost my Pixel 9 Professional XL at prime speeds. We settled on the truth that I’d want Google’s fancy 45W energy charger, figuring there have to be one thing it may do this different chargers weren’t, and the remainder is historical past. In any case that, the brand new charger saved me two minutes off the time spent charging the Pixel 8 Professional, as seen beneath. Nonetheless, it’s sooner for a fast top-up.

There’s extra to charging a telephone than uncooked pace, as Rob digs into as a part of our breakdown of Google’s complicated charging setup. However, because it seems, that secret energy was the 45W charger’s willingness to push 18 volts (slightly than 9-11V) into the Pixel 9 Professional XL, giving it the pace I had waited nearly every week for. Maybe that’s the very best factor I may have requested from Google’s new in-house accent — it did what I wanted. I assume that’s all you want from a charger, however it doesn’t sit very effectively when you must spend $30 on a brand new charger on prime of an already $1,100 telephone.

On the intense aspect, although you want Google’s 45W energy charger (or one in all only a few others) to fill the Pixel 9 Professional XL at prime speeds, now that you’ve got it, you may as well use it for the remainder of your units. In any case, it’s nonetheless a 45W USB PD PPS-enabled charger, so it may well soar proper in and assist your pals, whether or not they have Pixels, Samsung Galaxy units, or Motorola’s Razr Plus or Edge Plus. Simply don’t anticipate a lot out of it when you have a OnePlus 12 or one other telephone with proprietary charging.

With my charging headache sorted, I believe I owe Google at the very least a bit of thanks for clearly indicating what charging requirements the 45W energy charger helps and the particular voltage and amperage for each. Whereas searching for different options to this charger, I requested a number of colleagues for recommendation, which principally left us trying on the identical few chargers and attempting to determine the variations. No less than with this one, I knew it was prepared for USB PD 3.1 PPS proper off the bat — take notes, everybody else.

I’ve to confess, I’ve by no means felt this strongly a few charger earlier than. I imply, I don’t assume I’ve ever felt something about a charger earlier than. Positive, I’ve my favorites — I carried round that 68W TurboPower charger for greater than a yr, trusting it with every part from my digicam to my laptop computer to no matter telephone I used to be testing — however it didn’t crush me to go away house with out it for a weekend. I all the time knew I’d discover one other charger and possibly attain a lot of the speeds I wished.

With Google’s 45W energy charger, although, I’d most likely kick myself just a bit bit if I left it behind. Not as a result of it fully revolutionizes charging your telephone (it doesn’t) however as a result of Google determined to offer its greatest Pixel ever such particular charging necessities that make it nearly unimaginable to surpass 30W in any other case. And actually, I don’t love that feeling. I don’t like double-checking my backpack for one particular charger, regardless of how a lot I like that telephone. Whether or not it’s OnePlus, Samsung, or now, Google, it appears like an additional hoop to leap by means of. And but, I do know that I shouldn’t take my frustration out on the charger, or at the very least I ought to take into consideration a wi-fi charger as an alternative.

In any case, Google’s 45W energy charger does just about every part I would like it to. It seems good, delivers strong speeds to extra than simply the Pixel 9 Professional XL, and tells you what charging requirements it helps before you purchase it. Sure, it stands proud a bit of too removed from the wall, and sure, I might need most well-liked folding prongs, however on the finish of the day, it’s a charger. It will get my telephone again to 100% with out situation, and that needs to be sufficient.

In one other world, it most likely could be. I most likely couldn’t be happier with such a easy, simple possibility, particularly when different chargers that hit the voltage necessities for the Pixel 9 Professional XL are sometimes double the value. On this world, although, it appears like one other reminder that we’ll most likely by no means have one handy charging answer that works throughout each gadget. No less than not if it means Google, Samsung, or anybody else can squeeze a couple of extra {dollars} out of me.