Google says a firmware update slowed down Pixel Watch charging times

Due to a “firmware update,” Google had to change and increase the charging speeds mentioned for the first-generation Pixel Watch.

At launch, Google said the Pixel Watch could go from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes, which the Pixel Watch 2 achieves today. This was the “charging speed” listed in the Google Store technical specifications for the product.

With the launch of the Pixel Watch 2, the company updated “Google Pixel Watch technical and hardware specifications“Support page. Now, it takes 45 minutes to reach 50%, an increase of 15 minutes.

It takes 20 minutes longer, or 75 minutes, by 80%. Previously, I would have finished charging in this amount of time. Meanwhile, reaching 100% increased by 30 minutes to 110 minutes.

“A firmware update for Google Pixel watches requires us to review charging times, and the new times are what the average user will experience,” Google tells us. The company did not say when this change was implemented or why it was necessary.

Thermal concerns come to mind, with the Pixel Watch being quite warm to the touch after a full charging session. (The Pixel Watch 2’s pin charger generates less heat.) These updated times more reflect what we’ve seen on the first-gen device in recent months.

This update comes like last year’s Pixel Watch Still available for purchase The Google Store is $70 off, bringing the Wi-Fi model to $279 and the LTE model to $329. In our opinion, the price cut isn’t deep enough, and the hardware upgrades offered by the Pixel Watch 2, like the new Snapdragon W5, are worth it, especially for future-proofing.