Why is the first generation Google Pixel Watch charging slower?

If you've noticed that your Pixel Watch is taking longer than usual to charge, you've come to the right conclusion. For an as yet unknown reason, Google slowed down the charging speed of the Pixel Watch with the latest update. However, the latest version of the Pixel Watch 2 did not experience the change.

As discovered by 9to5Google, shortly after the launch of the Pixel Watch 2, Google updated its Google Pixel Watch technical support and specifications page. This happens very rarely, but in this case Google deliberately slowed down the charging speeds.

Pred spremembo je ameriški velikan trdil, da se lahko pametna ura napolni od 0 do 50 odstotkov v 30 minutah. Watch 2 še vedno doseže to hitrost, toda njena predhodnica sedaj za 50-ostotno napolnjenost potrebuje 45 minut oziroma 15 minut dlje. Poleg tega traja 20 minut dlje (75 minut), da doseže 80 odstotno napolnjenost baterije, in 30 minut dlje (110 minut), da doseže polno napolnjenost. Za primerjavo, isti intervali za Pixel Watch 2 trajajo: 30 minut, 43 minut in 75 minut. Razlog, zakaj se Pixel Watch zdaj polni dlje časa, je povezan z najnovejšo posodobitvijo vdelane programske opreme. Po navedbah Googla je “posodobitev vdelane programske opreme za Google Pixel Watches zahtevala pregled časov polnjenja.”

Google's statement did not give any serious indication as to why this kind of change was made. The charging speed is only adjusted in cases where there is excessive overheating during charging or when it is determined that something is wrong with the health of the battery. According to our data, most existing Pixel Watch users have had no complaints about overheating, which makes Google's decision all the more surprising. It could also just be a tactic to make the newer watch more attractive to buy.

Avtonomija baterije Googlovih ur že tako ni pretirano bleščeča, s podaljšanjem časom polnjenja pa bodo le še dodatno razdražili uporabnike, ki bodo iskali alternative izven Googlovega ekosistema. Huawei, Garmin, Suunto, Polar … Izbire je ogromno in Google bo moral v prihodnje paziti, da ne izgubi obstoječe baze uporabnikov.

They could also be a little more transparent about the unexpected change. The change was noticed by third party observers, but for such a decision one would expect a public announcement and also a clear explanation. Apple is another company that has come under fire for deliberately slowing down older phones. Although it has not lost too much reputation, it is enough to start raising doubts about the company's integrity among a certain group of users.