The upcoming Google Pixel 6 could launch with a fanned wireless Pixel Stand

I’ve been aboard the OnePlus train for a few years now but I can honestly say, I am truly excited to see what Google has in store for the highly-leaked Pixel 6 that should arrive later this year. Just the design alone has me salivating but I’m equally as anxious to see how Google’s new Whitechapel SoC performs and what sort of advancements the company may be bringing to its already amazing camera setup. As if this new phone wasn’t enough to get me hyped, 9to5Google has unearthed another piece of Google hardware that could potentially launch alongside the Pixel 6.

I keep a wireless charger on my desk for charging my headphones but until I acquired my current OnePlus 9 Pro, I haven’t had a mobile device with wireless charging since the days of my LG G7 which was just before my departure to the OnePlus family. Now that I have the 9 Pro with wireless charging, I have been considering a pair of wireless charging pads for me and my wife. Something along the lines of the iON Wireless Duo would be perfect for the nightstand as it can charge our phones and our earbuds while we sleep. However, thanks to Kyle Bradshaw’s recent discovery, I may hold off just a bit. If things flesh out, Google may be releasing a new version of the Pixel Stand wireless charger and this model could come with some serious upgrades.

Digging into the Android 12 Beta 2 preview, 9to5Google unearthed what appears to be a new Pixel Stand that is coming equipped with fans. Why fans? Fans generally mean heat dissipation and this is usually a result of increased power. The original Pixel Stand was capable of 10W charging for the Pixel Phone but fans could mean that Google is planning to pump up the juice for the incoming flagship Pixel 6. As Kyle points out, the OnePlus wireless charging stand is fanned and capable of 50W charging. While the fans don’t guarantee more power output and faster charging, the industry is moving in that direction and Google would be wise to give the new Pixel a boost in that department to keep on par with other OEMs.

According to the teardown, these fans will be more than simple tools to disperse heat. The discovered code points to a feature that can cycle the fan speed based on specific scenarios. Why is that important? Well, if you just want to charge your phone as quickly as possible, you will want the maximum amount of output possible which will result in a greater amount of heat created by the charger. In this scenario, the fan profile will likely be wide open to cool the charger as much as possible. At other times, like when you’re sleeping, the fans need to be quieter and fast charging won’t be the number one priority. The fans could then throttle down as not to disturb your slumber. Presumably, this would work in conjunction with your personal downtime schedule.

Other scenarios could include when you’re interacting with the Google Assistant or using the in-built audio recorder but the details are still very scant and we’ll have to wait until the fall – or until a new leak appears – to get the details. I’ll be keeping an eye on FCC filings to see if we can get some more details but Google normally keeps these updates held back until the very last minute with many devices not hitting the FCC until the actual date of announcement. Google’s next hardware event should be very exciting. Stay tuned for more.

Source: 9to5Google