The best chargers to fast charge your Pixel Fold

The Google Pixel Fold has finally been announced, and you can pre-order one right away. While this sparkling new foldable from Google will take some time before it ships, you will need to ensure that you have the right charger for it before it arrives. Here’s what you need to know about charging the Pixel Fold and some of our recommendations on the best Pixel Fold chargers and wireless chargers that you should buy.

What you need to know about the Pixel Fold’s charging situation

The Google Pixel Fold supports wired fast charging up to 21W through the USB Power Delivery 3.0 PPS specification. This number is on the lower side, as we see relatively quicker charging speeds on other Google devices like the Pixel 7 Pro (23W). It will take over one and half hours to charge the Pixel Fold’s 4,821mAh battery from 0% to 100%.

When compared to the competition, the Pixel Fold charges slower than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 charges at a maximum of 25W for its smaller 4,410mAh battery. In effect, you reach 100% on this smaller battery in about 85 minutes. Some of the credit for the quick charging time goes to the faster charging speeds and not just to the smaller battery.

No, the Pixel Fold does not come with a charger in the box

Despite its $1,799 price tag, the Pixel Fold does not come with a charging adaptor in the box. Users will have to purchase a new one for use with their phone or make do with an older charger that they already own. You’ve already spent so much money on your phone, so we advise you to spend a bit more on a good, future-proof charger that lasts you for a few years.

For the Pixel Fold, you’re going to need a USB Power Delivery PPS-compliant charger, so pay attention to picking the right charger for your device. Since the Pixel Fold comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable in the box, you’ll need a charger with a USB-C port. This will let you use the cable included in the box and spare you from needing to buy one separately.

The Pixel Fold’s 21W charging speed is still relatively slow, so you don’t necessarily need a GaN charger. GaN chargers provide higher charging speeds in a smaller form factor, but they are also more expensive. However, GaN chargers are great for multi-device charging, and most reputed accessory brands will be switching over to GaN technology for their top-tier offerings.

The Pixel Fold also supports 7.5W wireless charging, and you’d need to purchase a wireless charger to take advantage of the feature. However, the Pixel Fold does not support reverse wireless charging.

Google’s 30W USB-C charger remains the go-to recommendation for the Pixel Fold if you want to stick to first-party chargers. It supports the USB PD 3.0 PPS standard, so you can charge your other devices as well with it. With a 30W max output, this can handle the Pixel Fold with ease.

However, since this is a first-party accessory, the pricing on it is on the higher side, considering the small feature list that you get with it. You can find other third-party chargers in the market which either offer better value or more features, like the other ones on this list.

The Anker 511 Nano 3 is a tiny charger, but don’t let its size fool you. Thanks to the use of GaN technology, this compact charger can output 30W of power. Further, it supports USB PD PPS charging through its singular USB-C port, letting it complement the Pixel Fold perfectly.

The Anker 511 Nano 4 comes in five different colors. There is no cable included with the charger. You can either use the cable that you received with the Pixel Fold or buy a color-matched cable separately from Anker.

Anker 713 Nano 2 (45W)

Anker has a solid portfolio of GaN chargers in small and compact form factors. They are also among the few making these GaN chargers with a single USB-C port.

If you want to keep the brick size to the minimum, the Anker 713 Nano 2 (45W) is one of the better chargers to get if you want to charge your Pixel Fold and use the same charger for other devices, like a Macbook Air or a Dell XPS laptop. It supports 45W USB PD PPS, which lends compatibility with all of these devices. Note that there is no cable included with the charger.

Anker also sells the 715 Nano 2 (65W), which retains the same form factor but outputs an even higher 65W of power. However, it makes sense to opt for a multi-port charger at that point for simultaneous charging.

The best multiport chargers for the Pixel Fold

Single-port chargers make sense if you want to stick to a compact size. If you have the budget, you should opt for a multiport charger that has a lot more flexibility and versatility. With the second port, you can charge your smartwatch or earbuds at the same time as you charge your Pixel Fold, saving you from the hassle of needing to swap cables all the time.

To choose a good multiport charger, assess how many devices you need to charge regularly and simultaneously, what is their maximum charging speed, and what ports they need.

Google offers the Pixel Watch as a preorder bonus to Pixel Fold users. The Pixel Watch comes with a proprietary charging puck that uses USB-C on one end. So if you are picking a multiport charger for use with the watch, we recommend picking one with at least two USB-C ports.

On the other hand, if you are using the Pixel Buds A with the Pixel Fold, you’d get a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging the earbuds. In this case, you can choose a multiport charger with one USB-A port and one USB-C port, unless you are okay with swapping cables or buying a different cable.

As a general recommendation for maximum versatility, we recommend buying a multiport charger with at least one high-powered USB-C port and at least one USB-A.

For Pixel Fold users looking to simultaneously charge at least a Pixel Watch or a pair of earbuds with the foldable, we recommend they upgrade to this Iniu 45W GaN charger. The top USB-C port goes all the way up to 45W, while the bottom USB-A port goes up to 18W when used individually. When used simultaneously, you get 30W plus 12W, which remains perfect for charging the Pixel Fold alongside a pair of earbuds or other accessories.

Note that there is no USB cable included with the charger.

This Tecknet GaN charger is perfect if you also picked up the Pixel Watch alongside your Pixel Fold pre-order but also want something that can charge up your MacBook Air. It has two USB-C ports that can be used simultaneously for 20W plus 25W charging. The bottom USB-C port maxes out at 45W when used individually, which is more than enough for the Pixel Fold’s 21W requirement and just right for thin and light laptops like the Macbook Air.

Note that there is no USB cable included with the adaptor. Unlike other chargers, which have the primary port on top, the Tecknet 45W USB PD charger has the primary port on the bottom, so just keep that in mind when you are using the product. Even if you do use the top port, you get 20W charging for your Pixel Fold, which is just marginally lower than the maximum 21W that the Pixel Fold can accept.

Keep in mind that there is no cable included with the charger.

If you want even more power, the Anker 735 Nano 2 65W charger is a great option. This GaN charger maxes out at 65W when either USB-C port is used alone and at 22.5W for the USB-A port. In simultaneous usage of all three ports, the charger maxes out at 64W (40W+12W+12W). The middle USB-C port drops to 12W when any other port is used simultaneously.

You don’t really need all this power if you’re only planning to charge your Pixel Fold. However, if you have a powerful 65W Macbook Pro or you have a bunch of accessories that need frequent simultaneous charging, then this charger is a great addition to your kit. Anker is also a dependable brand, which becomes paramount when dealing with more power. Unsurprisingly, all of this comes at a higher cost, and there is no included cable either.

The best wireless chargers for the Pixel Fold

The Pixel Fold supports 7.5W wireless charging. However, outside of the first-party Pixel Stand 2nd Gen, we do not recommend standing-type wireless chargers.

The Pixel Fold has a significant camera hump, which makes it difficult to align the phone’s wireless charging coil to that of a standing-type wireless charging.

Consequently, our recommendations for third-party wireless chargers for the Pixel Fold will remain limited to charging pads. You will have an easier time aligning the phone perfectly on such chargers. Further, keep the Pixel Fold folded when placing it on either type of charger for a higher success rate, as the unfolded state increases your chances of misalingment.

The Google Pixel Stand supports up to 23W wireless charging, making it fairly overkill for the Pixel Fold’s meager 7.5W wireless charging. Nonetheless, Google sells the Pixel Stand as its sole wireless charging accessory, so if you’re looking for a first-party accessory, this remains your only option.

The Pixel Stand’s back support is also fairly short, letting it handle the Pixel Fold’s camera bump comfortably. This makes it one of the few stand-type wireless chargers to support the Pixel Fold.

The Pixel Stand comes bundled with the 30W Google USB-C charger and a USB-C to USB-C cable. So if you want to pick up a charging brick, a cable, and a wireless charging stand for your Pixel Fold, the Pixel Stand is a good option to look at as it gets you all three.

The Amazon Basics 15W Qi wireless charging pad is an accessory that gets the job done without any fuss. It will easily charge the Pixel Fold up to its maximum 7.5W wireless charging speeds. Unlike other wireless chargers in this category, this comes with a USB-C port and includes a USB-A to USB-C cable.

Note that the LED may be a little too bright if you’re considering keeping it on the nightstand beside your bed for trickle-charging your Pixel Fold overnight. You may also need to be a little careful in aligning the Pixel Fold properly onto the charging pad. Both the phone and the charging pad should indicate that charging is underway.