The lead-up to the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro reveal was one of the highlights in the Android phones calendar, that's for sure, and I was pleased as punch to be covering the pre-launch, through to the Made by Google event itself, and the excitement that has continued in the week following.
Upon receiving my Pixel 7 Pro, which I've been using for almost a full week now, I quickly settled in and, as you can read in my Pixel 7 Pro review here, I'm so here for this 2022 Pixel flagship. It's great.
Except it's been giving me sleepless nights. Well, it hasn't, but another Google product that I thought was going to be a must-have has been...
I'm talking about the Pixel Stand (2nd Gen), which was duly boxed up together with my Pixel 7 Pro. I thought it'd be an obvious accessory to use: after all, it activates wireless charging with ease, it looks neat and tidy, and as a bedstand addition it can plug into some of those Android extras like bedtime routines, gentle wake-up alarms and more.
But there's a problem: the Pixel Stand has a fan built into it. And I live in the country – which is so quiet at night that you could basically hear a mouse fart somewhere off in the unknown distance.
When the Pixel 7 Pro sits atop the Pixel Stand things are louder than said imaginary rodent woes, because there's fan noise. Actual noise, like someone has left a miniature laptop plugged in a little bit too near to your head. I don't have a decibel meter to tell you how much. All I can measure right now, it seems, is how much of a delicate flower I have become.
I never used to be a sensitive sleeper. My past life living on the Harringay Ladder in London meant sirens on repeat and dogs barking at all hours was commonplace. I wouldn't even notice bloomin' fan noise. But times have changed, clearly.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
In Google's defence there are three settings for the 2nd Gen Pixel Stand directly through a connected Pixel phone, so you can choose between Max (loudest threat), Optimised (unpredictable threat), or Quiet (is it a threat?). But there's no 'Off'. And I would very much like such an option.
So it's back to the usual USB-C charging cable for me (not included in the Pixel 7 Pro's box, mind you), which with 30W power delivery on the Pixel 7 Pro charges plenty fast enough. Or, indeed, I could fish out one of umpteen Qi-compatible charging mats and that'd do the job without, um, unwanted fanfare...
Still, I'm just glad I can continue to love my Pixel 7 Pro without the need to use the Stand. Good as it sounds in principle, it's not the accessory for me.
Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.
-
Seiko’s new Presage Japanese Garden watch has a playful cutout that’s truly hypnotising
Seiko expands its Presage Japanese Garden series with two new watches
By Bethan Girdler-Maslen Published
-
Amazon finally unveils its most dystopian show yet with a real trailer
Beast Games looks fairly horrifying
By Max Freeman-Mills Published