The next major leak of data for the upcoming Google Pixel 6 has to do with charging. The device is tipped to be very similar to its predecessor, appearing to connect to power with a simple cord-to-wall plug, but this time it's more powerful. Far more powerful than before. The Google Pixel Stand was released for Google Pixel devices in the past - but now it really means business.
![Samsung Galaxy A21 fire on a plane: Should you worry? [UPDATE: Comment from airport authority]](https://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/firetimes-1280x720.jpg)
A Samsung Galaxy A21 "caught on fire" in the cabin of an airplane that'd landed in Seattle this week. The Alaska Airlines flight took off from New Orleans and landed at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in the evening of August 24, 2021. The smartphone model in question has not had any previously reported incidents of this sort.
EVgo is one of the larger nationwide EV charging networks, and the company has announced that it has changed its service. It now offers new nationwide plan options, a loyalty program, and a new pricing pilot underway in California. Among the changes that EVgo is announcing include a kWh and time-of-use pricing pilot underway in California.
It was a rather controversial move for both users and some government regulators, but the trend of removing the charging brick from smartphone boxes might become standard soon. Apple started it, and Samsung followed suit after mocking it. Google will soon be next, apparently, as the company made it publicly known that the Pixel 6 won't ship with a charger either, for the exact same and sometimes questionable reasons its peers have been pushing since last year.
It wasn't too long ago, just last year actually, when Apple made the bold move not to ship a charger nor a pair of earbuds in the iPhone 12's box. After ridiculing the decision, Samsung followed suit and didn't ship a charger with the Galaxy S21 earlier this year. It did somehow get around some criticism by offering the charger as a pre-order perk. It seems that the same story will be told about the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and you'll have to sign up early if you want a free charger, among other accessories.
The folks at NOMAD made a Leather Cover for the standard Apple MagSafe wireless charger. The price for the accessory does not include the charger itself, just the leather cover that fits over the charger. You have to buy the charger from Apple, then the leather cover from NOMAD for $24.95 USD. That'll get you a cover in Rustic Brown or Black.
Most who shop on Amazon check the reviews for a particular product to ensure it's worth their hard-earned money. However, many who frequently shop on Amazon may not realize how rampant fake reviews are on the website. There are many brands who pay people who purchase their products for reviews, sometimes handing out gift cards to entice buyers to leave five-star reviews.
To go along with its freshly-announced Razer Blade 14 - the first AMD-based gaming laptop the company has made - Razer also announced that it's getting into the business of making Gallium Nitride (GaN) chargers. Dubbed simply the Razer USB-C GaN Charger, this new charger comes with a surprising amount of functionality and portability. The only downside, it seems, is that it's going to cost a lot of money to own one.
Electrify America's Level 2 home charger is now available, with the Electrify Home HomeStation promising smoother synchronization with your public charging along with smart power management. Capable of up to 9.6 kW it's the company's fastest home charger, and though while that still means you won't get the sort of DC fast charging rates you'd see Electrify America's public locations, it's still faster than many rivals.
Popular accessories company Anker has introduced its new Nano II charger series, a product line featuring 30-watt, 45-watt, and 65-watt chargers packing GaN II technology. The chargers offer a mix of portability and versatility, enabling users to (depending on the model) charge everything from their phone and tablet to a Nintendo Switch and even laptops.
Apple definitely set a trend when it decided to ditch the wall charger in the iPhone 12 box. Samsung and Xiaomi have already followed in their footsteps and Huawei is expected to do so soon as well. It isn't just the big companies, though, as HMD Global seems to be following the trend. The Nokia X20, one of its new affordable phones, won't be coming with one and it could affect how consumers will see the overall cost of the phone.
Always a trendsetter, Apple's removal of phone chargers from its iPhone boxes is already being copied by its rivals. Amusingly, those are the same companies, or at least one of them, that ridiculed the unpopular move. Samsung and Xiaomi, however, won't be the only ones following in Cupertino's footsteps and Huawei might be the next big name to remove the charger starting with the upcoming Huawei P50. That said, it wouldn't be for financial or environmental reasons like the others.