If you were expecting Samsung’s next Galaxy S flagship to finally push beyond the charging limits the company has set with its last few generations of phones, a series of new signals suggest you should tone down your expectations.
That plays into the hands of conservative-minded Samsung and, to some extent, justifies the company’s continued existence in the audio industry. That’s a strategy that focuses on battery life and universal charger compatibility, but it also means the sort of headline-grabbing speed gains we’ve grown accustomed to don’t seem likely this generation.
What recent filings and leaks reveal
Industry leaker Ice Universe, often a reliable source of Samsung scoops, has suggested that the small variants of the S26 will stick to 25W, while device certifications in China’s 3C database – noticed by independent watchers – lists power profiles which correspond with a 45W maximum for the S26 Ultra via USB Power Delivery with PPS. The voltage and current combinations that it supports are listed in the document, but these do – as per usual Samsung devices – tally with previous Samsung iterations of fast charging, but not a whole nimble-charge new thing.
Put another way, they resemble a rehash of Samsung’s current split: mainstream models at 25W, and the Ultra at 45W, if regional hardware differences don’t impact things much. Samsung’s been deploying this cocktail of ingredients from the moment it shifted its Ultra tier to 45W a couple of generations ago, and there’s no overwhelming reason to assume the company will forfeit beyond it for S26.
While peak performance may be more attainable in final retail boxes if ramp-up can be better optimized, and thermal management can be just that little bit better, real-world gains are likely to be incremental. In terms of relative time, you can expect another similar pattern to recent years with the Ultra: the heavy surge early on in the Ultra’s life to give you a meaningful top-up in 30 mins, versus the blunter, longer curve with the smaller phones.
How it compares with competitors
Make no mistake: Samsung’s strategy looks conservative on raw numbers. Performance-oriented brands from China normally provide 80W to 120W wired charging — and sometimes more — and charge from near-empty to full in 25–35 mins in independent lab tests. The likes of the most recent Samsung Ultra models with 45W, by contrast, tend to stop at around an hour in third-party measurements, with the 25W tier taking longer typically.
When it comes to its non-Chinese rivals in the West, however, Samsung’s position is less of an outlier. Apple’s most recent iPhones are somewhere in the mid-20-watt range for wired charging, and Google’s top phones usually land in the high-20s to low-30s depending on charger and circumstances. In that perspective, the 45W Ultra from Samsung stays in the hunt, and the more modest models don’t feel cereal box timid, they feel conservative.
The wild card is wireless. The industry is converging around USB PD for wired power and Qi2 for magnetic wireless alignment. If Samsung leans further into Qi2 with effective thermal design, it might be able to raise the daily-wireless-convenience stakes, while leaving that wired headline figure unchanged — although nothing concrete points to S26 getting much more wireless to S25.
Why Samsung might be saving itself
Fast charging is not just a number; it’s a delicate balancing act. Higher wattage generates more heat, and will wear your battery faster if not carefully controlled. Rather than take on the risks of proprietary charge pump designs, in Korea-based Samsung’s case, the potential for significant additional scrutiny from the international community after the Note 7 scandals, Samsung has publicly committed itself to battery safety, long term use, and a consistent user experience on its world market offerings.
There’s also regulatory and regional complexity. Global certification, charger compatibilities, and variations in power standards add friction to rolling out ultra-fast solutions everywhere. It also keeps our 25W/45W strategy unified from a validation and support perspective, while preventing consumer confusion on which charger can unlock which speed in which market.”
Finally, Samsung has prioritized efficiency and longevity over optics. Changes to adaptive charging curves, a more aggressive thermal envelope, and bigger battery capacities all can make a phone “feel” faster to refuel during short top-ups, even if the wattage on the spec sheet doesn’t change. A significant number of users charge for 15–30 minutes; and if software-based ramp-up hits a high short plateau, overall practical experience could still be OK-ish going high early.
What this means for buyers
For those who prioritize the very fastest 0–100% times, there are rivals that will probably outpace the S26 family on wired charging. Those who exist on brief, regular hits will experience bigger jumps from 80W–120W kits (though use the chargers included).
But if you care more about battery health over years of use, predictable behavior with standard USB PD chargers, and also, it’s own efficiency, Samsung’s approach is still defensible. The 45W of the Ultra tier can still give a lunch-break top-up meaning, and the smaller devices will likely see benefits in slightly more efficient charging algorithms, even if they don’t see the ceiling rise back from 25W.
Bottom line: Don’t get your hopes up for a massive charging-speed leap in the Galaxy S26. Unless Samsung springs a major surprise late in the cycle, it looks as though the company is set to stick with what it knows — prioritizing consistency and longevity over headline-grabbing wattage, even as competitors continue to chase specs.”
