Besides the difference in their screen size, battery capacity, and dimensions, the Pixel and Pixel XL are exactly the same specs. Both phones feature a USB Type-C port with fast charging support. To take advantage of the fast charging feature, Google has included an 18W charger with both handsets.

Nathan K, known for testing USB devices/specs, in a detailed write-up mentioned that contrary to Google’s claims, the Pixel only pulls 15W of power when charged with the stock 18W USB-PD charger. He speculated in his write up that Google had to reduce the amount of power the Pixel can pull from the charger due to thermal constraints. After all, the Pixel is smaller than the Pixel XL by quite a fair bit which means the surface area to dissipate the heat is smaller.

The Pixel XL has been tested and confirmed by Nathan to pull 18W of power from its wall charger.

When contacted by Android Police, a Google spokesperson quickly got the marketing material changed over at Pixel’s website to 15 – 18W charging thereby indirectly confirming Nathan’s findings.

Before you get all worked up about the Pixel charging slower than its XL brother, remember that the Pixel comes with a smaller 2770mAh battery as well. So even though it pulls 15W of power from its wall charger, it will charge faster than the Pixel XL since it comes with a bigger 3450mAh battery. Additionally, a phone does not always charge at its peak speed due to thermal constraints, the capacity of the battery, and many other factors.