For the Galaxy S26 series, Samsung is supposedly readying its first significant wireless charging speed increase in a few years. If true, this would see the Galaxy S26 Ultra hitting 25W wireless charging, with that of the standard Galaxy S26 and S26 Plus maxing out at 20W – finally breaking through Samsung’s long-standing 15W ceiling, according to ET News.
The improvement would not be one of headline wattage alone. The ET News estimate was for a drop in charging times of around 40%, which would also filter down to the sorts of top-ups and late-night refills used day-to-day by drivers. It is also anticipated to snuggle along with magnets for Qi2’s Magnetic Power Profile, suggesting a larger shake-up of Samsung’s wireless charging experience.
A Long-Awaited Speed Bump for Samsung’s Wireless Charging
Samsung has consistently held its flagship phones back to 15W wireless charging over the past few generations, a cautious approach that favored battery health and controlling heat. In the meantime, rivals have raced ahead with peak wattage levels that turned fast wireless charging into a marquee differentiator in certain markets.
Context matters. And yet even as Apple’s MagSafe stays stuck at 15W, the fastest Android rivals often scream 30W, 50W or beyond on their proprietary pads. The result is a perception gap: Samsung’s strategy has leaned toward consistency and safety throughout a broad charging ecosystem, but the figures on the spec sheet have appeared stale.
A jump to 20W for the S26 and 25W for the S26 Ultra wouldn’t just be on paper. Just a small improvement in effective power delivery, and it is also more aligned — coarsely, out at the pad, there’s considerably less time spent on pad wrestling to find said “sweet spot.”
What 20W and 25W Might Actually Mean in Practice
There’s more to wireless charging speed than peak watts. How long the phone can handle higher rates is also a function of thermal limits, coil design and that phone’s charging curve. Right there is one reason such claims of time saved often don’t seem to pan out in the actual world.
Nonetheless, the concrete benefits here should be apparent. On a standard 5,000 mAh battery, increasing up past the typical 15W peak to around 20–25W tends to shave tens of minutes off a session, especially for partial top-ups. A 20–60% desk-to-meeting infusion that could clock in at around an hour on older Samsung pads might well narrow to between about 35–40 minutes (depending on ambient temperature and the device’s heat management).
Look for Samsung to conservatively tend these rates. The company’s charging software typically tapers down as the battery warms or moves closer to higher states of charge, in the name of longevity—something that hasn’t served its long-term reliability story (especially for some of its older 85 kWh Model S vehicles) all that well.
Qi2 Magnets Might Tackle Real World Speeds
Adding in integrated magnets would match up with the Wireless Power Consortium’s Qi2 standard, which uses a Magnetic Power Profile to maintain coil alignment. Better alignment equals more efficiency, less wasted heat and more consistent speeds—all problem areas depending on who you ask when it comes to older non-magnetic pads.
If Samsung comes on board with the likes of Google and HMD bearing Qi2 magnets, it might mean a wave of compatible stands, car mounts, or battery packs that snap and charge without any fuss. That accessory ecosystem is already growing, and Samsung’s gravity would speed up the process.
There is a catch. The Qi2 spec for today is based around 15W max for magnetically aligned charging, so hitting 20–25W probably means Samsung will stack a proprietary mode on top. And they’d see fastest-charging speeds on Samsung-certified pads while still having the ability to charge at standard rates using other, third-party Qi2 devices.
Still Trailing The Quickest Android Rivals
Boosting the power upwards to 25W is still below the peak numbers some rivals claim, however. OnePlus touts 50W wireless charging on its latest flagships, HONOR has pumped up the volume to 66W where it can on select models, and Xiaomi’s top-tier phones are pushing up to 80 watts — usually with their own-brand chargers and in some cases calling for a fan-cooled stand.
Those solutions can result in eye-popping times most of the time, but there’s always a trade-off:
- higher acoustic noise from cooling fans
- more exacting requirements for add-on components
- more heat you must control aggressively with software measures at times to make sure it doesn’t eat into the battery
Samsung’s more cautious approach is likely due to its focus on long term, wider certification goals and safety margins for a global market.
What To Watch Next For Samsung’s Wireless Charging
Wireless gains could be part of a more broadly rethought approach to charging, overall. The Galaxy S26 Ultra is rumoured to receive 60W wired charging, which would be a step up from the 45W that Samsung has featured on its recent Ultras. If wired and wireless speeds jump, look for tighter control over charging curves, stronger thermal hardware and perhaps refocusing on adaptive charging features that slow the charge rate significantly as the battery fills up to extend overall battery health.
For users, the headline is straightforward: faster, more reliable cable-free charging without losing cross-platform compatibility. Assuming Samsung brings 20–25W wireless and whatever Qi2 magnets to market, daily ease of use gets better—from secure car mounts to less early-morning frustration on a nightstand—while still keeping within their most cautious approach which has become baked directly into the brand’s charging strategy.
The ET News report is a nice step rather than signalling a spec race. That could be precisely what Samsung enthusiasts have been holding out for: a reasonable upgrade that cuts down on charging time, opens up accessory possibilities and fits into the way we already charge our phones.