Joe Maring / Android Authority
This Wednesday is going to be an exciting day to be a Pixel fan. On Wednesday, Google will announce the (highly-leaked) Pixel 10 series, the Pixel Watch 4, and a new pair of Pixel earbuds — presumably the Pixel Buds 2a.
In addition to all of that, we’re also expecting a lot of new accessories for Google’s latest hardware. On Monday, Android Authority reported that one such accessory will be a 67W dual-port charger.
Considering that Google’s current most powerful charger is a single-port 45W adapter, this new one appears to be a significant upgrade. However, once you look outside of Google’s charger portfolio, this 67W charger isn’t anything to get excited about. In fact, there’s a 67W charger from another company that I think you should buy right now instead of waiting for Google’s.
Do you plan on buying Google's 67W charger? 21 votes Yes 29 % No 71 %
Belkin’s 67W charger is the one to buy
Joe Maring / Android Authority
The charger I’m talking about comes from Belkin. Its official name is the “Belkin BoostCharge 3 Port USB-C Charger with PPS 67W,” but for the sake of all of us, I’ll simply refer to it as “the Belkin charger.”
As the name suggests, Belkin’s charger also has 67W of power, just like Google’s upcoming one. However, instead of two ports, Belkin’s charger has three.
Using one of the three ports delivers 67W of charge speed to your device, and if you have three gadgets plugged in, the top port delivers 25W speeds while the other two ports charge at a 20W rate. Two ports are certainly better than one, but three ports are even more convenient.
Joe Maring / Android Authority
I’ve had this Belkin charger for a couple of years now, and it’s been an absolute champ both in my home office and while on the road. When I’m home, Belkin’s charger stays plugged into a power strip on my desk, meaning I always have three USB-C ports within reach whenever I need to charge my phone, watch, earbuds, or anything else.
I particularly love Belkin’s design for the charger. It plugs in vertically, meaning it doesn’t jut out awkwardly from the outlet. You can position it so that the USB-C ports face up or down, which was particularly handy when I used the Belkin charger in countless hotel rooms last year.
It also helps that Belkin’s charger is both small and lightweight, allowing it to easily slip into a backpack and still work fine even in a loose outlet. The foldable prongs are a nice touch, too, making it that much easier to fit Belkin’s charger into any pocket/pouch.
Ryan Haines / Android Authority Google’s single-port 45W charger
We don’t know yet what Google’s 67W charger will look like, only that it will come in a “Snow” color. To Google’s credit, its current single-port 45W charger does look nice, but it’s not that much smaller than Belkin’s charger despite having two fewer ports. Given that, it stands to reason that Google’s dual-port 67W charger won’t have a substantial design advantage over Belkin.
Google’s 67W charger should be good, but don’t wait for it
Joe Maring / Android Authority
While Belkin’s advantage in ports is already notable, it becomes even more impressive when we factor in the price. Belkin’s 67W charger retails for $45, which is already a good deal. However, it’s regularly discounted to just $30.
Google’s 67W charger, by comparison, is expected to be a bit pricier. We reported that the Canadian price will be CA$79, which works out to roughly $57 USD. It’s likely the official US price will be $50 or $60, and either way, we’re looking at a more expensive charger that’s less capable than Belkin’s.
This isn’t to say that Google’s 67W charger will be bad. If anything, it should be quite good. My colleague Ryan Haines reviewed Google’s 45W charger last year, and he came away rather pleased with it. It’s built well, looks cute, and works seamlessly with Google’s Pixel phones. I imagine the same will also be true of the new 67W charger. Plus, if the Pixel 10’s charging speeds are just as complicated as the Pixel 9’s, that could be reason enough for Pixel owners to opt for Google’s latest charger.
That said, if I were in the market for a multi-port USB-C charger today, I wouldn’t be waiting for Google’s new one to drop. Belkin’s charger has performed without fault over a pretty demanding couple of years I’ve put it through. Having a charger that’s this reliable, more functional, and cheaper than Google’s upcoming one is a no-brainer to me.
I’m certainly glad to see Google expanding its first-party charger portfolio, but for my money and my recommendation, I think Belkin’s charger is the better choice.
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