It feels like Google has forgotten the Pixel Stand, but with the Pixel 10 possibly supporting Qi2, now is the time to bring it back.<\/b>
\nThe Pixel Stand debuted alongside the Pixel 3 and 3XL almost seven years ago, and it was my favorite accessory for those phones. Adding useful Google Assistant features and faster Qi charging made it a must-have accessory for Pixels, and I used it every day.
Outside of the iPhone and HMD Skyline supporting MagSafe and Qi2, respectively, wireless charging has been stagnant since then. 2021\u2019s Pixel Stand 2 made some minor improvements to the Pixel Stand formula, but it wasn\u2019t a significant leap. With rumours that Google plans to add Qi2 charging to the Pixel 10 series, I\u2019m hoping those plans also include a Pixel Stand 3.Faster charging and exclusive features
The Pixel Stand has always been more than just a wireless charger. It was the way you unlocked faster wireless charging and a handy Google Assistant-enabled always-on display. Even the Pixel 9 series can only reach its max wireless charging speeds on a Pixel Stand 2. On a standard Qi charger, the Pixel 9 Pro can only manage a measly 12W, while a Pixel Stand 2 can recharge the phone at 21W.
The faster speeds and unique always-on display are great features that I loved using back when I had a Pixel 3XL, but there\u2019s a problem \u2014 Google stopped selling the Pixel Stand 2 in September 2024. Just a month after Google unveiled the Pixel 9 series, the accessory needed for them to charge at their advertised maximum speeds went away.Qi2 opens up a lot of possibilities
When I used an iPhone 16 Pro for a brief period last year, I loved having MagSafe built into the phone. I\u2019d used cases that add magnets to my Android phones before, and continue to do so, but having everything in the device itself is a better system. Qi2 support in the Pixel 10 series presents an opportunity to improve on every aspect of the Pixel Stand.
Because of the way the wireless charging coils in the Pixel Stand 2 were positioned, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold wouldn\u2019t work with the accessory. Likewise, the Pixel Buds couldn\u2019t charge on the original Pixel Stand unless you placed the case on the charger upside down. That\u2019s the problem when you make an accessory like this \u2014 future phones and devices won\u2019t work if their size or shape makes it impossible for the charging coils to align.
Qi2 magnets solve this problem. If the Pixel Stand 3 had magnets, then any future Pixel would be able to align and charge correctly if they supported Qi2, either within the phone or in a case. Aside from faster charging, magnets would let you orient your phone in landscape instead of being locked in portrait. Combine that with an improved version of the always-on display the old Pixel Stand had, perhaps integrating Gemini Live or a scaled-down version of the Pixel Tablet\u2019s Hub Mode, and a new Pixel Stand would be a compelling accessory.
Google is supposedly working on some \u201cPixelsnap\u201d accessories, which could include the features I\u2019ve brought up today, but until we see them in the flesh, there\u2019s no way of knowing how good they\u2019ll be or what functionality they\u2019ll support.
Aside from software features and faster charging, there are other improvements I\u2019d like to see. The Pixel Stand has always been on the larger side and is expensive at $80. Samsung\u2019s Wireless Charger Single might not add any fancy software features to Galaxy phones, but it does have a cooling fan and only costs $55 on Amazon. Even the Wireless Charger Duo, which can charge a phone at 15W and a second device, including a Galaxy Watch, is often discounted to $55 from its $80 MSRP.
A new Pixel Stand should be a step up, bringing the cost, size, and weight down as much as possible to compete with accessories from other companies.Older Pixels should come along for the ride
Google can\u2019t retroactively add magnets to its older phones, but it absolutely should update them to support any software features a new Pixel Stand would offer. Some cases add MagSafe\/Qi2 magnets to the Pixel 5, a phone from 2020, and those cases are even more popular with newer Pixels.
It\u2019d be a bad look if Google didn\u2019t let these features work with older Pixels. As mentioned earlier, the Pixel Stand required to fast charge a Pixel 9 was discontinued only a few weeks after those phones were available. Selling a phone with a feature nobody can use is disappointing, and if I were a Pixel 9 owner, I\u2019d be miffed if Google locked something like this to the newer phones.
Do you want a new Pixel Stand? Let us know in the comments.
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