[Update: Benson Leung shared in a blog post update that 27W charging isn’t supported after all. “I’d like to clarify this post as Pixel 2 and 2 XL will not be able to support 27W charging. While the phones may be able to negotiate more power using USB Power Delivery when connected to a higher wattage charger, there are other factors which may limit the speed at which it charges the battery. The included 18W charger in the box will provide optimal charging for Pixel 2 and 2 XL. Sorry for the confusion!”]
Google is (mostly) good at using USB-C and taking advantage of what it can do, and the Pixel phones are a big part of that. Last year’s devices were able to fast charge over USB-C without any proprietary Qualcomm tech, and the Pixel 2 family can do the same. New this year, though, is expanded compatibility with even faster chargers.
Last year’s Pixels topped out at 18W for USB-C Power Delivery fast charging, and that already offers pretty quick charging. Using that on the Pixels battery sizes you can get around 7 hours worth of power in just 15 minutes. The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL both ship with that same 18W adapter (hear that Apple?), but they can charge much quicker if you pick up a more powerful charging brick.
Google Engineer and god of USB-C Benson Leung posted late last night about the Pixel 2 and its excellent USB-C specifications, but made mention of the fact that these phones are capable of charging at up to 27W. That’s quite a bit faster, on paper, than what comes in the box, and it’s really nice to see that expanded capability for those who need to charge their devices extremely fast.
A quick search around the web doesn’t find a ton of 27W chargers, but I was able to spot one from AUKEY that looks up to the task. The $25 charger is actually advertised to charge with the latest iPhones and even the Nintendo Switch, but it should work great with the Pixel 2 family as well since these devices are all using USB PD over USB-C.
There’s no cable included with that charger, but you can easily use the one that comes with your phone or another option from Amazon.
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