Google has officially unveiled the Pixel 10 series of smartphones and, this year, there’s a big reason to opt for the XL model.
And when I say big reason, I don’t mean that it has a bigger screen than the Pixel 10 Pro or that it has a bigger battery. It is the only one of Google’s 2025 flagship phones with Qi2.2 charging. In fact, it’s the first phone to hit the market with it.
As rumoured, all the Pixel 10 phones have Qi2 wireless charging and that’s a significant upgrade for the devices as well as an important milestone in the wider Android market.
It means you get magnetic charging, much like MagSafe on the iPhone. A wide range of accessories, including Google’s own Pixelsnap range, will quickly and accurately attach to the back, making your life much easier.
The fact that the Pixel 10 Pro XL is the only one to get Qi2.2 might give you a reason to buy it over the other models – assuming things like its size and price also fit the bill (it now starts at £1,199/$1,199, having dropped the 128GB model).
Qi2.2 means the XL can wirelessly charge at 25W compared to a maximum of 15W on its stablemates.
You need the official Pixelsnap charging puck (£49.99/$49.99) or other Qi2.2 certified third-party options to achieve the full 25W, but the XL’s advantage doesn’t end there.
Furthermore, Google has given it the ability to charge at 45W via a wired connection.
The others are limited to 30W, which is still good, but it means that you’ll get 70% juice in 30 minutes on the XL rather than 50%, according to Google’s figures. And that’s despite it having the largest battery of the four phones.
The Pixel 9 Pro XL could also charge faster than its brothers, but the difference wasn’t so large. That it’s taken five years for a flagship range of Android phones to catch up with Apple on this feature is somewhat mind-boggling, but the Pixel 10 will be a catalyst for the market.
Author: Chris Martin, Managing Editor, Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor Managing Editor Chris got his break as a reporter at infamous site The Inquirer and has been with us for more than 12 years. With a BA degree in Music Technology, audio is his specialism, but over the years he has reviewed all kinds of gadgets, from smartwatches to mesh Wi-Fi to coffee machines.