Wireless charging is mostly a premium feature that we get to see on flagship smartphones. From the iPhone 14 to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, almost all flagship cell phones feature wireless charging in 2022. And Google isn’t falling behind in the feature overload.
Here’s what you need to know about the wireless charging situation with the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro.
Despite the sub-$600 price tag, the Google Pixel 7 features wireless charging. The more expensive Google Pixel 7 Pro also has wireless charging. Google hasn’t specified the exact watt number for both the new smartphones, but what we know is that both Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro feature fast wireless charging.
To recall, the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro came with 21W fast wireless charging. And since the wired charging wattage is the same at 30W for both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series, we can safely assume that the wireless charging wattage for the Pixel 7/7 Pro is again 21W.
The Google Pixel 7 has been reduced in size, and as a result, Google has also reduced the battery capacity on the new device. The Pixel 7 packs a 4355mAh battery, compared to the 4600mAh battery found on the Pixel 6. In our Google Pixel 7 review, it’s proven to have much better battery life than its predecessor.
The Pixel 7 is rated to last up to 24 hours on a single charge or up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver mode. But how those numbers actually fare in the real world remains to be seen.
Unlike the Pixel 7, Google isn’t experimenting with the size of the Pixel 7 Pro. It is still one of the hefty smartphones on the market with a 6.7-inch display. While Google has shed a few millimeters off the Pixel 7 Pro, it still managed to pack a 5000mAh battery, which is the same as the Pixel 6 Pro. So, you can expect it to last the same amount of time as its predecessor. As we found in our Google Pixel 7 Pro review, battery life is fine — but not great.
The Pixel 7 Pro is also rated to last up to 24 hours, but we’ll reserve the final verdict until our review. Like the Pixel 7, the 7 Pro supports 30W wired fast charging, which is claimed to charge the phone up to 50% in 30 minutes. It is also Qi-certified with support for fast wireless charging and reverse wireless charging to charge your earbuds or smartwatch.
The OnePlus Buds Clip are a new pair of open-ear earbuds built around a simple convenience. They join Sony’s LinkBuds Clip in the growing ear-cuff category, but either OnePlus bud can go on either ear.
Sensors recognize how the earbuds are being worn and route the audio channels accordingly. There’s no label to check before putting them on, and the feature also works when only one bud is used.
We buy fitness bands and activity trackers to keep tabs on our exercise, but it is easy to forget to start tracking or switch modes when moving between different activities. For Fitbit and Pixel Watch users, that could soon become a lot less annoying, as Google is rolling out a major upgrade to automatic activity tracking that can recognize more than 100 types of exercise, up from just 10 before.
Google first showed off the improved tracking earlier this month alongside the Fitbit Edge. It is now coming to Fitbit Air and the Pixel Watch 3, 4, and 5, and Google claims the added context behind the system makes workout detection nearly twice as accurate while cutting missed activities by more than half. Fitbit Edge will support it too.