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Rita El Khoury \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n
It\u2019s shocking to think that it\u2019s been more than a decade since the first Android smartwatch launched, and yet, we still don\u2019t have a universal charging system. Even within a single company\u2019s smartwatch lineup, we often see new charging systems introduced every few years, and often the new system isn\u2019t backward-compatible. This can be highly frustrating<\/a>, as it effectively renders your older chargers and accessories redundant when it\u2019s time to upgrade.<\/p>\n Google, unfortunately, is not exactly helping this cause when you look at its own Pixel Watch series. In a span of just four generations, we\u2019ve had three different charging systems for the Pixel Watch (four, if you count the new Fitbit Air<\/a>).<\/p>\n The Pixel Watch 4<\/a> introduced a new charging dock with side-mounted pins on the watch and much faster charging speeds. Mercifully, the upcoming Pixel Watch 5<\/a> is expected to have this same charging system, which is great news. But it doesn\u2019t address the larger problem at hand: the proprietary charging system \u2014 and with it, its own set of limitations.<\/p>\n Do you want wireless charging on the Pixel Watch 5?<\/p>\n 22 votes<\/p>\n Yes. I don’t wanted to be stuck with just the charging dock.<\/p>\n 50%<\/p>\n No. I think wireless charging is slow and unreliable.<\/p>\n 14%<\/p>\n Doesn’t really matter.<\/p>\n 32%<\/p>\n I’d rather buy the Galaxy Watch 9<\/p>\n 5%<\/p>\n The problem with the Pixel Watch 4\u2019s charging system<\/p>\n Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n The official Google Pixel Watch 4 Quick Charge Dock costs $30 and is meant to be placed in a part of your home that you frequent the most. It\u2019s not something you carry with you every day on your way to work. This means you need to buy additional docks for your work desk or for when traveling out of town.<\/p>\n Then there are instances where the cable could get damaged, or you could misplace the charger, requiring you to spend on replacements. Depending on how carefully you use your personal tech, $30 per charger can add up over the years. A few cheaper, third-party options are available on Amazon, but I can\u2019t vouch for their longevity or charging efficiency.<\/p>\n Buying additional charging docks is the only way to ensure your Pixel Watch is always topped up, no matter where you are.<\/p>\n Another limitation is the fast-charging capability itself. According to Google, this works provided you connect the charging dock to a 30W adapter, plugged into a wall outlet. I have my charger connected to a spare USB-C port on my monitor, and yet I find the charging speed quite satisfactory (a full charge from 15% in roughly 35 minutes is not bad). However, the same might not be true for everyone, especially if you\u2019re using a power bank or an uncertified charging dock.<\/p>\n The Pixel Watch 5 should have better battery life than the Watch 4, but I still don\u2019t see it lasting beyond two to two and a half days at best, let alone a week like some of its peers. In other words, if you head out for a week-long vacation and happen to forget the charger, you\u2019re still probably going to be in trouble.<\/p>\n Pixel Watch accessories are still limited (and pricey)<\/p>\n Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n That brings us to another issue: pricing and availability. Not only are Pixel Watch accessories expensive, but they\u2019re hard to come by, too. This is unsurprising considering how often Google has changed the charging system for the Pixel Watch.<\/p>\n Accessory makers are not about to commit to new chargers and docks for a product that has a short shelf life. Then, there\u2019s the weak market share to consider. While Google still reportedly<\/a> figures among the top four wearable companies in the U.S., it doesn\u2019t rank in the global scheme of things, according to IDC\u2019s recent report<\/a>. The other problem is availability.<\/p>\n Even after a year, we have less than a handful of chargers for the Pixel Watch 4.<\/p>\n Finding a good quality charging accessory for the Pixel Watch in your region can be a challenge. The Google U.S. store lists just three third-party charging docks, apart from Google\u2019s own dock. The Google India store, on the other hand, only lists the official dock and nothing else. Options with other e-tailers, like Amazon, aren\u2019t much better either. It\u2019s quite disappointing to see so few options for the Pixel Watch 4, even a year after its launch.<\/p>\n Is there a solution to this?<\/p>\n Qi2 charging can make the Pixel Watch 5 perfect<\/p>\n Rita El Khoury \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n We\u2019ve said it before,<\/a> and I\u2019ll say it again \u2014 it\u2019s high time Google added wireless charging for the Pixel Watch. In fact, I think all Android smartwatches need to adopt Qi2 charging<\/a> ASAP because that\u2019s the only way out of this charger purgatory we\u2019ve created for ourselves. Google has the golden opportunity to lead the charge here. It\u2019s already doubled down on Qi2 with the Pixel phones (take a hint, Samsung), and it\u2019s time to do the same with the watch.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not saying Google needs to do away with its existing charging mechanism, but at least offer Qi2 as a fallback until it can match the pin-based charging in terms of speed and efficiency. With wireless charging, you at least have more options to charge your watch when you\u2019re in a pinch and away from the charging dock. Samsung\u2019s Galaxy Watch series (up to the Galaxy Watch 6) could charge via reverse wireless charging on your phone, which was extremely convenient.<\/p>\n Having Qi2 charging as a fallback option means you’re not stranded without Google’s dock.<\/p>\n This is one area where Google (and other Android OEMs) can really learn from Apple. The Apple Watch has used the same core charging tech for over 10 generations, so what\u2019s stopping Google and others from doing the same? Especially now that we have a universally open standard like Qi2, there\u2019s simply no excuse not to be using it everywhere. I\u2019ll even take basic Qi charging on the Pixel Watch 5 at this point, but give me something!<\/p>\n The Android smartwatch ecosystem deserves better<\/p>\n Kaitlyn Cimino \/ Android Authority<\/p>\n The Pixel Watch 5 will be unveiled on August 12, along with the Pixel 11 series, and, according to the latest leaked renders<\/a>, it should look remarkably like the Pixel Watch 4. The latter is already a pretty fantastic smartwatch as far as Wear OS<\/a> devices go, and Google can make the next one near-perfect if it just gives us a more universal charging option. Hopefully, this should give other OEMs the courage to follow suit, thereby having a cascading effect on the accessories market.<\/p>\n With Qi or Qi2 charging on most Android smartwatches, we could see plenty more creative, cheaper charging solutions from accessory makers. Imagine being able to use a single charging dock to charge smartwatches from multiple brands, just as we use wireless chargers for our phones today.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Fitbit-Air-Pixel-Watch-4-Chargers-scaled.jpg\"\/ "\\"Fitbit")
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