GoKawiil
Tech News
A hands-on test of the Pixel 11 Pro XL's advertised 25W wireless charging found the PixelSnap charger topping out at just 23W, well short of its rated speed and the 31W previously measured on the Pixel 10 Pro XL. The charger also took roughly six minutes to ramp up to peak power, cycling between voltage levels before settling, and could only sustain that peak for a similarly short window.
An Android Authority columnist reports buying his 14th iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro, and argues that Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra and Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL have largely closed the technical gap with Apple's devices. Despite that parity, he says Apple still draws outsized attention and loyalty because of how it markets and narrates its products rather than through superior specs.
Testing of the Pixel 11 Pro XL's new Extreme Charging feature found it sustains peak power output of around 41W for roughly 16 minutes, compared to 10 minutes in standard mode, cutting charging times as Google promised but at the cost of higher heat generation. The feature also proved finicky to activate, only appearing after two full charge cycles and a wait, and it requires a specific 45W USB PD PPS charger supporting 21V rather than the more common 11V PPS chargers.
Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL nearly hits its advertised 45W wired charging speed, peaking at 40.7W, but only when paired with a specific USB-C charger supporting 21V at 2A under the USB PD PPS protocol. Common PPS chargers limited to 11V, including some rated up to 67W, only delivered around 25W in testing, and even with the ideal charger the phone still takes about 21 minutes to reach 50% charge.
YouTuber Zack Nelson (JerryRigEverything) tested Google's Pixel 11 Pro XL and found it resists bending and holds up well to physical stress, though its display still scratches at level six despite Google's claims of improved scratch resistance. His teardown also showed the display and battery can each be removed in just a few minutes using basic tools like a heat gun, suction cup, and pry tool.