The upcoming Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is generating excitement for its charging upgrades, but recent tests suggest that the improvements might not be as groundbreaking as initially expected.
60W Charging: A Modest Upgrade
Rumors had hinted at a major upgrade from 45W to 60W charging for the S26 Ultra, and while the 60W charger is already on sale, the actual charging performance isn’t as impressive as anticipated. Ice Universe, a reliable tech tipster, shared the charging test results, showing that the S26 Ultra can charge from 0% to 75% in 30 minutes. While this sounds great on paper, it’s not much better than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which reached 70% in the same timeframe.
The addition of just 15W extra doesn’t make a huge difference, especially considering the lab conditions under which the test was conducted. The charging speed upgrade is expected to be exclusive to the S26 Ultra, with the S26 and S26+ remaining at 25W and 45W charging speeds, respectively.
Battery Size and Potential Improvements
There’s still some uncertainty surrounding the battery size of the S26 Ultra, with rumors suggesting an increase to 5200mAh, which could make the charging result slightly more impressive. However, some reports indicate that Samsung may stick with the 5000mAh battery from the previous model, meaning the actual benefit of the 60W charger may be marginal.
Potential Wireless Charging Boost
While the wired charging improvements might be underwhelming, Samsung is also reportedly upgrading its wireless charging capabilities. The S26 Ultra could see an increase in wireless charging speeds from 15W to 25W. The big question is whether Samsung will include Qi2 magnetic charging (similar to MagSafe) built into the phone or if users will still need to use a special case for this feature. This move would help Samsung better compete with the Google Pixel 10 series, which already comes with Qi2 built-in.
With the Galaxy S26 range expected to launch on February 25, we’ll soon find out how much of these rumored charging upgrades will be true, and whether Samsung can deliver a significant wireless charging boost to compete in the premium smartphone market.
