Another Google Pixel 2 XL issue arises as users report slow battery charging

If you’ve been following the Pixel 2 XL debacle, you know that fresh problems have been cropping up with Google’s new flagship phone ever since it launched in late October. First there were the display problems, which include image retention (or burn-in) and color inaccuracy. Then Google started shipping Pixel 2 phones without the operating system installed. And now, as if the launch hadn’t been a big enough disaster already, a new issue has surfaced.

Last Friday, following reports of the Pixel 2 XL charging more slowly than expected, Google+ user Nathan K. used a series of tools to measure the speed at which the phone charged. According to Nathan, the reports of slow charging are completely true. His test showed that Pixel 2 XL charging is “functionally capped at 10.5 watts” when charging from a low percentage, and then decreases “exponentially” after it reaches 65% charge.

“This suggests to me Google or LG is trying to avoid strain on the battery in order to maximize longevity,” he wrote, hypothesizing about why the phone was failing to charge as fast as it should. “Rather than opting for performance, they are being extremely conservative with the charging current and temperature.”

The most baffling part of this is that the Pixel 2 XL ships with an 18W charger to take advantage of the phone’s fast charging technology. Nathan claims that the phone never even comes close to hitting 18W while charging, averaging far below that when charging from a low percentage to fully charged.

Google has yet to comment on the matter, but providing this is something that every Pixel 2 XL user is experiencing, the list of issues continues to grow for Google just as the iPhone X begins to roll out around the world.