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Does the Google Pixel 6a have wireless charging?
The Google Pixel 6a is the latest budget premium device coming from the search giant. It offers a powerful Google Tensor chipset, a gorgeous 6.1-inch Full HD+ OLED display, 6GB of RAM, a great dual camera system, and the clean Google experience we all love. That’s a lot of phone for the $449 MSRP. Considering the corners Google had to cut to hit this price point, does the Google Pixel 6a have wireless charging?
Our thoughts: Google Pixel 6a review
QUICK ANSWER
The Google Pixel 6a does not have wireless charging. This isn't surprising, though. No Pixel A-series device has featured wireless charging in the past. Omitting it is a simple way to save some cash in production and offer a lower price point.
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The problem with having no wireless charging
While you may not necessarily need wireless charging, it’s nice to have. It will be very inconvenient, and maybe even wasteful, if you’ve already invested in wireless chargers. You might already have wireless chargers around the house, office, or even in your car. Furthermore, simply dropping your phone on a platform and never thinking about plugging in is so convenient that you’ll soon start missing the feature.
Say you don’t mind adapting to the lack of wireless charging and prefer taking advantage of the great deal the Pixel 6a is. The other problem is there are plenty of direct competitors offering wireless charging. Let’s take a look at some of them in the next section.
Great phones with wireless charging
There are plenty of options if you want a budget premium phone with wireless charging capabilities. The most obvious example is the Apple iPhone SE (2022). You could also look at the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, or the Nothing Phone 1. These offer plenty of power and value, yet they didn’t need to eliminate Qi capabilities.
You might not even need to go outside the Google Pixel lineup to get a good alternative. Because the Google Pixel 6 is getting older by now, you can often find it for just a bit over $450. As of this writing, the Pixel 6 can be had for $469.99 on Amazon. Why even get the Pixel 6a if the more powerful, more capable, better-built Pixel 6 cost only a bit more?
You should also take a look at our list of the best phones with wireless charging to see if any of those options suit your needs better.
How to add wireless charging to any phone
Where there is a will, there will always be a way. Even if Google doesn’t add Qi wireless charging to its Pixel 6a, you can. And it doesn’t require opening up the phone or any funky business. There are wireless charging receivers available in the market. These can simply plug into the charging port (in this case, USB-C). They will include a flat surface that can go on the back of the device. You can then put the phone and the receiver on a wireless charger and enjoy semi-wire-free charging.
FAQs
No. The Pixel 6a doesn’t have wireless charging capabilities.
Unless you’ve already invested in wireless chargers, you might not really need the feature. Especially considering the phone supports 18W fast charging.
No Pixel A-series devices have featured wireless charging capabilities in the past. These devices are meant to be value phones that offer much for as little money as possible.
Not officially, but there are Qi adapters that can plug into the phone’s USB port and lay flat on the phone’s back. These can help you use wireless chargers.