Galaxy S26 gets first wireless-charging upgrade in six years… Ultra to support 25W
Samsung is upgrading the wireless-charging performance of its flagship “Galaxy S26” series, which it will launch early next year.
According to industry sources on the 11th, Samsung plans to equip the Galaxy S26 Ultra with 25-watt (W) wireless charging, and the Standard and Plus models with 20W wireless charging.
An industry source familiar with the matter said, “Whereas the previous S25 series supported 15W wireless charging across all models, next year’s models will come with faster wireless charging.”
In theory, 25W can shorten charging time by 40% compared with 15W. If charging a smartphone at 15W takes a total of 100 minutes, at 25W it would take just 60 minutes.
Wireless charging is a technology that uses the principle of electromagnetic induction to transmit electrical energy without connecting a charging cable. The higher the power rating, the greater the current flow and the shorter the battery charging time—resulting in “fast charging.”
It is the first time in six years that Samsung Electronics has upgraded its wireless-charging performance. Starting with the Galaxy S20 series in 2020 through this year’s Galaxy S25 series and the foldable Galaxy Z7 series, Samsung’s wireless charging maxed out at 15W.
Fifteen watts is lower performance than competitors. Not only Chinese smartphone makers but even Apple—whose adoption of wireless-charging technology came later than Samsung’s—already supports 25W charging. This appears to reflect Samsung’s development stance prioritizing battery safety in the wake of the “Galaxy Note7” battery fire incident.
Since last year’s iPhone 16 series, Apple’s iPhones have supported the “Qi2” wireless-charging standard, enabling 25W charging. The iPhone Air, released this year as a slim model, supports 20W charging. Most Chinese smartphones from Huawei, Xiaomi, and others support 50W wireless charging.
As Samsung raises wireless-charging speeds on its flagship Galaxy S series, the technology is expected to be introduced to the foldable Galaxy Z series as well. The company is also expected to gradually expand the application of wireless-charging technology to mass-market models.
With Samsung moving to upgrade functionality, companies supplying wireless-charging components are poised to gain new opportunities. Wits, Amotech, and Hansol Technics are among partners that supply wireless-charging modules to Samsung smartphones.
