GoKawiilRita El Khoury / Android Authority
When I realized that my brand new Pixel 10 Pro XL doesn’t work well with my existing Qi power banks, I went looking for new Qi2 options and assumed I would use them the same way I used my previous portable batteries, wireless or not. Plug in or magnetically attach when my phone’s battery is running low on a busy day, give it an hour or so, and manage to make it to the end of the day without the phone dying.
But over the last few months, something slowly shifted in the way I’ve been using the few Qi2 power banks I own. Of course, they charge my phone — I haven’t figured out a magical trick to use them in a different way — but it’s the when and how that have changed for me.
Have you bought a Qi2 charger or power bank for your Pixel phone? 2816 votes Yes, I have a new Pixel 10 series phone. 48 % Yes, I have an older Pixel. 29 % No, I'm sticking with my older Qi charger. 9 % I don't use wireless chargers. 15 %
Don’t underestimate the convenience of no-look charging
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
What completely changed my approach to charging my phone on the go is the idea of “no-look charging.” Magnets are incredibly convenient for aligning and immediately attaching my Pixel 10 Pro XL and all my Qi2 accessories, but they are crucial if I want to top off my phone without looking.
When I’m out and about, or when I’m traveling, I don’t want to think about charging. I don’t want it to disrupt my Google Maps navigation or my photography session. I’d rather it happened in the background without me obsessing over every lost percentage of battery each time I unlocked my phone. That’s where magnets bring a fantastic advantage.
I keep my Qi2 power bank in my left pocket and my phone in my right pocket, and, when I need a charge, I just move the power bank to my right pocket. Without even looking, I can feel for the phone and attach the two together, and I know my phone will start filling up. 10 or 20 minutes later, I separate them again without looking and put the power bank back in my left pocket.
The in-pocket, no-look charging is so convenient and seamless that I've stopped taking my phone out to top it off.
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