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A Reddit user has shared an image of a Pixel Stand Mod that can charge the phone in landscape mode. The Pixel Stand’s original design has a limitation: it can only charge the phone when it is in portrait mode. This happens due to the misalignment of the charging coils inside the phone and the stand.
Notably, the Pixel Stand (2nd generation) can charge your Pixel even when it is in landscape mode. Both the Google Pixel Buds and Pixel Buds Pro come with a design that allows them to align and charge properly without any issues.
Pixel devices so far aren’t MagSafe compatible and cannot hold them in the right position in landscape orientation
Wireless chargers that support MagSafe don’t face this issue in charging MagSafe-compatible devices or devices that have a MagSafe case. However, the problem is that not all cases nor Google’s Android devices themselves have magnets inside that can aid in the alignment.
As a result, it is generally not possible to keep the phone in the right position when it’s in landscape mode. The only exception could be the large foldable devices like the Google Pixel Fold that the user can place in landscape mode (while unfolded) on the charging base without misaligning the wireless charging coils inside.
A 3D-printed kickstand holds the phone in the right position in landscape mode
To solve this inconvenience, the Reddit user 3D-printed a kickstand that can hold the phone in the right position when it is in landscape mode. The image suggests that the structure is not fixed to the stand. It allows the user to easily remove it for vertical phone placement.
Upon closer inspection of the 3D-printed kickstand and its placement on the base, it looks like it also does not block the airflow to the charger. The curved shape of the base should still allow the cooling system to function normally. The Reddit user did not share the STL files that he created to 3D print the kickstand.
Technically, you don’t need to 3D-print a kickstand to hold the phone in place if you have the Pixel Stand. You can also use a similar object that aligns the coils and allows the phone to charge in the landscape orientation. However, the mod is just a more refined way of doing so.