Rumor has it that the Pixel 8 will not offer better performance than its predecessor in terms of wireless charging.
We are still several months away from the presentation of the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. Rumors about its specifications therefore come to us in dribs and drabs. The 9 To 5 Google site has discovered that Google has applied for certification with the Wireless Power Consortium, and according to it, the company’s future smartphone will probably not benefit from a very practical technology : Qi2.
Pixel users have been able to charge their smartphone using a base compatible with the Qi standard since the release of the Pixel 4, in 2019. This very practical technology is not without flaws. The main criticism addressed to it concerns its relative slowness. It is estimated that “replenishing” your phone’s energy with a cable is 20 to 30% faster than wireless. You also have to be very careful when placing your device on a charging station, as the latter does not work optimally when the phone is not properly aligned with the coils integrated into the base.
The Pixel 8 won’t improve at all from a wireless charging standpoint
The Qi2 standard, presented in January 2023, aims to close this performance gap and improve the faulty ergonomics of the previous generation. Like MagSafe, of which it is an evolution, this new technology incorporates magnets that automatically align the smartphone with the charger located in the base. In addition, it should, in the future, make it possible to recharge our devices more quickly.
Fast charging will continue to be one of the big weak points of Pixels in the coming year and until 2024. In any case, this is what can be deduced from the Qi certification application filed with the WPC by Google. The Pixel 8 (filed under the GKWS6 model) will therefore not have a latest generation wireless charging. So she will stay limited to 12W. Let’s hope for the Mountain View firm that its new smartphone will have other arguments to make to convince consumers.