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Google this week announced its new lineup of Pixel phones , the Pixel 10, 10 Pro, and 10 Pro XL, but rather than complete design overhauls, they’re refreshed versions of the 9 series (and look essentially identical).
Instead, we get a handful of supporting software and hardware features for the 10, including one that Pixel users have been waiting for a (very) long time: Pixelsnap, a magnetic Qi2 wireless charging feature resembling Apple’s MagSafe.
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That’s right. Finally, Android is invited to the magnetic snap party, with the Pixel 10 being the first Android to support wireless charging with a magnetic snap and the Qi2 charging standard. Google is launching Pixelsnap alongside three accessories to start, with an entire ecosystem of branded accessories coming down the road.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Since the technology here is based on the Qi2 wireless charging standard, any of the MagSafe accessories previously marketed for iPhones will work on the Pixel 10. This opens up a ton of options for Android users who were previously relegated to workarounds and third-party products with varying degrees of success.
The Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) announced its pursuit of a standardized system for Apple and Android devices as far back as two years ago, but magnetic Qi2 charging technology built into the phones has been sorely missing from Android devices for years.
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This is despite the fact that Androids were the first to offer wireless charging over 10 years ago, but have since been outpaced by the iPhone’s MagSafe feature, which has spawned an entire ecosystem of products from wallets to chargers to other accessories.
Google’s branded products releasing today include the Pixelsnap ring stand for $29, which just props your phone up on a surface and acts as a secondary grip, the Pixelsnap charger that snaps to the back of the phone but has a wired connection for $39, and a combo charger with a stand for $69.
You can expect a host of new products in the Pixelsnap ecosystem soon, including everything we see from MagSafe products like car mounts, grips, wallets, and other unique accessories.
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All of the new Pixel 10 models will support PixelSnap wireless charging, reaching speeds of up to 25W, the Qi2 standard for both iPhones and Android devices.
For Apple, this means losing its majority market share in the MagSafe accessory category, since many of the devices that were previously marketed for the iPhone will now work on the Pixel 10. If additional Android models open up to this feature (and they most certainly will), it will no longer be a selling point unique to the iPhone.
