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Not too long ago, Google’s upcoming Pixel Buds passed through the Bluetooth SIG as expected. The SIG (special interest group) is the standards group that oversees the development of Bluetooth standards and the licensing of the Bluetooth technologies and trademarks to manufacturers. Products that have Bluetooth in them for any reason pass through this group on their way to manufacturing, and this can clue us in to the imminence of a product release.
Another wireless technology that must get a certification on the way to a product becoming available for purchase is wireless charging . For this, devices must swing by the Wireless Power Consortium to get the seal of approval as part of the production process. We know that the Pixel Buds are set to utilize the Qi wireless charging standard, and thanks to a keen eye by Kyle Bradshaw over at 9to5 Google, the Pixel Buds have been spotted obtaining this new certification.
As Kyle notes in his post, Google’s past wireless charging devices haven’t passed through this certification until after their releases. Perhaps as the Pixel Buds are already announced and there’s little to hide about them, Google isn’t so worried about these certifications being public and out there for everyone to see. After all, it’s not as if we don’t know what to expect or that this certification really highlights any new info that needs to be kept confidential. We just want to know when we can buy the things!
One additional tidbit of info that is available via the listing is the fact that the Pixel Buds can receive up to 5 watts over the wireless charging connection. Most wireless earbuds can charge wirelessly at a 1 watt or 2 watt clip, so this could be good news for users who want to quickly top up their Pixel Buds without plugging them in to do so. Other than that, this certification only provides hope that we should see the Pixel Buds released very soon. There’s really nothing in the way of availability at this point, so we’re hopeful a release is finally just around the corner.
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