Latest Pixel 9 leak sets fast charging expectations

Google’s Pixel 9 series is set to debut in under two weeks. While these are shaping up to be the most expensive Pixel phones to date, between some hardware upgrades and Google’s latest AI software magic, it may just be able to convince shoppers the investment is worth it. As we start getting down to the wire on leaks and rumors, we’re checking out a source that attempts to nail down some details about what we can hope to expect from Pixel 9 phones in terms of both storage capacity and charging.

That question of how fast the Pixel 9 series might charge has been one we’ve been thinking a lot about since seeing Taiwan’s NCC share Pixel charging speed data two weeks ago. Based on the raw numbers, it looked like the Pixel 9, Pro, and Fold would charge at roughly the same rate as their Pixel 8 cousins, while the Pixel 9 Pro XL pulled ahead of the pack with power input that suggested we might see it rated at 35W. Now Android Headlines attempts to flesh that out with some specifics, claiming that the 9 and 9 Pro will charge “up to 55% in about 30 minutes,” with the 9 Pro XL reaching “up to 70% in about 30 minutes.”

Both of those are in line with the numbers we’ve seen already, and the site similarly comes to the conclusion that the Pixel 9 Pro XL will offer ~35W charging (33W technically), as opposed to the 30W or lower for its peers. Problem is, right now Google only sells a 30W USB-C charger, so are you going to have to go third-party to hit max speed? In that same series of NCC publications, we spotted a 45W Google charger, which AH expects to be put on sale to support the Pro XL.

As for storage capacity, AH attempts to confirm that all three regular Pixel 9s will start at 128GB, and the Fold at 256GB. Really, the only shift in expectations we notice here is that the Pixel 9 Pro could top off at 1TB instead of 512GB, and that this highest storage tier wouldn’t be exclusive to the Pro XL. While pricing still isn’t confirmed for any of these new Pixel models, it might be wise to start getting ready for that sticker shock now.