Google Pixel 6 Smartphone Fast Charging Claims Class Action

If a smartphone advertises that it “Charges 50% in about 30 minutes,” can it actually charge that fast? And how long should it take to charge completely? The complaint for this class action takes issue with the claims it alleges Google North America, Inc. makes for its Pixel 6 smartphones and their charging abilities.

Two classes have been proposed for this action:

• The New York Class is all persons in New York who bought the product during the applicable statutes of limitations.
• The Consumer Fraud Multi-State Class is all persons in Arkansas, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and Alaska who bought the product during the applicable statutes of limitations.

Page 1 of the complaint shows an image of the Pixel 6 smartphone with a claim beside it: “Charges 50% in about 30 minutes. And charges your headphones.” The complaint alleges, “This promise of faster charging speeds is misleading for multiple reasons.”

First, the complaint points out that this particular advertising does not disclose that the charging must be done with a particular charger, the Google 30W USB-C Charger, which costs $30 and uses the USB Power Delivery PPS charging protocol. But even when this is disclosed, the complaint alleges, the information is not accurate.

Independent testing, the complaint alleges, showed that “the maximum power obtained from both the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro is just 22W, with an average of just 13W over a full cycle[.]” Charging speeds do not get close to the promised 30W, the complaint says, even with the special 30W charger.

The claim that the smartphone “[c]harges 50% in about 30 minutes” is also misleading, the complaint says, pointing to “a lengthy footnote with numerous caveats and exclusions” that ordinary consumers may not even see. The complaint quotes the footnote as saying, in part, “Charging testing conducted … on pre-production hardware and software using default settings… Charging speed depends upon many factors including usage during charging, battery age and ambient temperature.”

Also, the complaint alleges, that same claim leads consumers to believe that the phone will charge 100% in around an hour. Startlingly, however, the complaint alleges that the “full charge from near empty takes over two hours.” This is because, it claims, the fast charging draws more power at the beginning of the charging process, then gradually drops to 2.5W, with the second 50% taking “three times as long” as the first.

Why does the phone not draw the advertised 30W from the charger? The complaint suggests several reasons, including that the Pixel 6 itself is at fault, with other smartphones drawing more power: “For example, the Samsung Galaxy, with the same battery capacity of 5,000 mAh, ‘draws 25W from the same plug and even hits peaks of 28W before reducing its charging power at the 50% mark,’” and completes its charge in 49 fewer minutes.

The complaint also faults the Pixel 6’s charging algorithm, which it claims is the same as for older versions and cannot take advantage of the full 30W.

Article Type: Lawsuit
Topic: Consumer
Tags: Battery System, Deceptive Advertising, Deceptive Labels, Item Does Not Do What It Is Advertised to Do