The Pixel 9 Pro Fold takes the foldable phone world to a new level, but its charging speed lags far behind Google's other flagship phones.
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The Pixel 9 Pro Fold launched with some seriously impressive hardware, but it falls short of Google’s other new phones in several areas, particularly when it comes to charging speed. While the innovative design and foldable design are noteworthy, technological innovations don’t always translate into performance.
For example, the Pixel 9 Pro XL received one of Google’s biggest wired charging upgrades, capable of delivering 37W of power, a significant improvement over previous models. In contrast, the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro are noticeably faster, supporting 27W wired charging. However, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is surprisingly slower, and Google has officially confirmed that the maximum wired charging speed is capped at 21W.
This slow charging speed is especially surprising given that the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the most expensive device in Google's current lineup. However, given the 4,650mAh battery, the device charges slightly slower than the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro, which have 4,700mAh batteries.
Wireless charging speeds aren’t great either. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold isn’t compatible with the Pixel Stand, and the maximum speed for Qi wireless charging is just 7.5W, which is a big setback compared to the competition.
This slow charging speed is clearly one of the weak points of the device. Despite being a premium device, users may be disappointed with the charging performance. Additionally, cheaper devices from Google like the Pixel 8a only charge at 18W, which is still lower than the Fold.
Still, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is a great device that embodies the benefits and limitations of foldable devices. For those looking for the latest technology, it’s worth considering how trade-offs like slow charging will impact the user experience.