Google’s Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are reportedly getting an upgrade in the most used part of the smartphone experience — the charger. Google has previously equipped Pixel phones with chargers that support up to 18-watt charging speeds, but the company is raising the threshold to 33W with the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, according to a new report from XDA Developers.
The new report echoes an older one, albeit with a more solid foundation. It is based on the Taiwanese certification for the Pixel 6 Pro rather than accessories and shows information that Google would need to give to regulators in order to get their phone applied. The below is purportedly the Taiwanese regulatory label, showing supported speeds of 5 volts/3 amps (15W), 9V/2A (18W), 9V/3A (27W), and 11V/3A (33W). You’ll probably need to shell out a little extra if you want to take advantage of this new and faster charging though since the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro likely won’t come with included chargers.
While the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will charge faster than the iPhone 13’s 22W, it’s not going to touch many of the more specced out Android phones which offer a range of speeds that go as high as 120W as we’ve seen on the Xiaomi 11T Pro. That is not to say that it won’t be a competitive experience. Like Apple, Google focuses on the overall package rather than brute specs to outcompete rivals. The 33W speed is pretty fast for most people, and the large battery paired with Google’s software optimizations should keep it off the charger for a day or more, as has been demonstrated in the Pixel 5a 5G. Google is trying to strike a balance between speedy charging speeds and battery depletion over the lifetime of the phone.
While Google has said to expect the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to release in the fall, it has been reported to be opening for preorders around October 19, a bit later than the company’s Pixel phones normally launch which could be accounted for by supply line issues.
Two new highly requested iCloud plugins just got added to ChatGPT, giving people who rely on Apple’s Mail and Calendar services a way to search emails, check appointments, and manage their schedules directly through the chatbot.
The integration is rolling out to all ChatGPT plans, including the free tier. You can access it on the web, desktop, and iOS.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.