Charging our phones is probably among the top first world problems. Having to live without our precious device during this unavoidable period is torturous. But things have got easier – phones come with bigger batteries, and with USB C cables, I no longer need three tries to put in the charging cable the right way. But the ultimate luxury in charging phones is probably a wireless charger – and the Pixel Stand from Google is tailor-made for their Pixel 3 phones.
The Pixel Stand is a poorly named product. Going by its name, one would think that it is merely that – a stand to hold your Pixel, which it is – but it’s way more than that. And costing at over 6000 Rupees – it better be more than a fancy stand. Typical of Google products, the Pixel Stand comes in a good looking box. Let’s see what’s inside. On lifting the top of the box – you see the stand straight away. Since the Pixel Stand is rigid and does not fold, it needs a large box.
The box also contains a standard Pixel USB C charger – which connects to the stand. The packaging is well done – but I did have one complaint though – there was too much plastic wrapping around the stand – even the base had a thin plastic film.
The stand follows Google’s design philosophy and is mean to look bland and not stand out. The stand comes in several colors – white, white, white and…white. The only hint of color is at the rubber base – which of course nobody is going to see.
Google wants you to keep the Pixel stand beside your bed, and the idea is that after you are done with the unhealthy habit of browsing your phone before sleep, you just place it on the Pixel Stand and wake up to a fully charged device.
The Pixel Stand uses Google’s new fast wireless charging tech – it uses 10 watts of power. That makes it faster than most wireless chargers. But it’s about half as fast as using the wired Pixel charger – which uses 18 watts. Yes, it can charge other phones too, including the iPhone since it is based on the qi wireless charging standard. But the special features are reserved only for the Pixel 3 and above.
But the Pixel Stand is ambitious and wants to be more than just a wireless charger. It aims to transform your Pixel into a Google Home. Yes! The first time you plonk your phone onto the stand – your phone lights up and asks you to set up your phone for this particular stand. Yes – each stand is unique and you can set up your phone to use them differently. Similarly, if you have multiple Pixel phones, each phone can be configured to use the stand differently.
Once you are set up – your Pixel is effectively doubling as a Google Home now. You can talk to it just like any google home and interact with the google assistant
Google also puts your phone into a Do Not Disturb state when it’s on the stand. The idea here is that this prevents the nasty habit we have of frequently using the phone even when charging. You can, of course, choose to turn this off.
Since you have a gorgeous screen and front-facing speakers- the phone now doubles as a photo frame and a very tiny TV too.
Google uses its AI to select the best photos from your online album – so you will not see the shaky image with your finger half covering the lens. I found that it almost always showed pics which were taken well, and had people smiling.
One final feature is Sunrise Alarm. It is supposed to make your phone screen a bright orange to simulate a sunrise 15 minutes before your morning alarm. This is supposed to help you wake up more rested. Honestly, this sounds good – but unless you have a completely dark room, and are facing the phone – I don’t see how it would help.
Summing up
I have had the Pixel Stand for a couple of months now – and it is my preferred way of charging. I keep it beside my work desk, to keep it charged through the day, and also place it beside my bed. What can I say – I am neurotic about keeping my phone always charged. Since I have a few Google Homes, I don’t necessarily use my Pixel as a google home – but I can see it being very useful as one.
So should you buy one?
At over ₹6500, it is very hard for me to recommend the Pixel Stand in India. It costs two thousand rupees less in the US – and even that is a price I am not comfortable with. You can get good wireless chargers for less than Rs.2000 – we have a few recommendations in our amazon shop – look for the link below.
Buy only if
- If you are a Google fan
- Are looking to buy a Google home – this might help avoid that purchase
- Have some extra cash lying around.
Vinayak Nair is a self-confessed geek from the days when computer memory was measured in Kilobytes. I create YouTube videos on 3D Printing, DIY Projects, Everyday tech reviews and also delve into gaming.