Pixel 10 Pro XL Trails 60W Rivals as 37W Charging Draws Criticism

Q: Can Google's new software truly fix a hardware problem that competitors have already solved?

No. Google’s new charging software can improve the experience at the margins, but it cannot erase a hardware gap that rivals have already narrowed with better batteries, charging circuits and thermal design. The Pixel 10 Pro XL’s problem is physical: it tops out at 37W on a 5,200mAh battery, while the standard Pixel models remain at 27W. That leaves Google well behind phones such as the OnePlus 15 at 80W and Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra at 60W, which can fully charge in about 42 minutes. In the same window, the Pixel 10 Pro XL is still below 80%. Google’s reported Android 17 “Priority Charging” feature may help in short sessions by pausing background activity and managing heat more aggressively. That can make charging more efficient and reduce throttling caused by temperature. It may also help users who are slowed by Adaptive Charging, poor cables, charger mismatch or overheating. But software cannot push more power than the phone’s battery, PMIC and thermal system are built to safely accept. That is why experts keep pointing to hardware fixes for the Pixel 11: higher-quality cells, better power-management ICs, improved heat dissipation, and possibly dual-cell or silicon-carbon battery designs. Even the rumored Pixel 11 Pro XL move to around 45W would be only a modest step. Google’s software can optimize a weak charging system. It cannot fully fix one. If Google wants Pixel charging to stop being a liability, it needs hardware that matches 2026 flagship expectations.

1 articles · Updated · Android Authority · Jun 8

20 minutes on a charger gets the Pixel 10 Pro XL to 45%, a gap the author says makes the phone impractical to rely on day to day.
Testing cited by Android Authority shows the OnePlus 15 reaches 64% in the same 20 minutes and fills roughly twice as fast despite a larger 7,300mAh battery.
Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra has raised the pressure further: its 60W charging reaches full in 42 minutes, while the Pixel 10 Pro XL still has not hit 80%.
Google’s flagship charging has changed little across three generations, and its niche 20V USB PD PPS requirement can leave users stuck at older 27W speeds with incompatible plugs.
The piece argues Google must make faster charging a hardware priority for the Pixel 11 series, especially for a phone expected to start at at least $1,199.