Google, with the latest December 2024 Pixel drop software update, introduced a new charging technique for its Pixel series of smartphones – bypass charging, a novelty feature available on high-end and gaming-centric smartphones.

When enabled, this feature ensures that the smartphone gets its power directly from the power adapter, rather than drawing it from the battery, which does two things. It prevents the battery from heating, especially on high-end smartphones with super-fast charging, and as a result, it also helps the phone stay cool during extended gaming sessions.

In a typical scenario, when you use the smartphone while it is charging, the power first goes to the battery, and then it is drawn by various components such as the processor and display. In bypass charging mode, it is more like using a desktop PC rather than a laptop, where the required power is drawn directly from the wall adapter.

Depending on the brand, the implementation of bypass charging varies. On Pixel smartphones, one can only enable bypass charging once the device has been charged up to 80 per cent, while there are no such restrictions on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (review), but it can only be enabled while playing a video game. The same feature on iQOO 13 (review) is called a direct drive power supply, which can only be activated while playing a video game.