It’s no secret that Samsung dropped the ball on wireless charging with the Samsung Galaxy S25.
“Qi2 Ready” amounted to an inconsequential line of cases that made magnetic wireless charging slightly more efficient for the Galaxy S25 series but did not offer true Qi2 compatibility.
However, since the Pixel 10 series launched with Qi2 compatibility, it seemed clear that the Galaxy S26 would launch with this feature.
Reliable leakers have claimed that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will support 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging. This is exactly what we expected, but there’s more to it.
Samsung is also planning other wired and wireless charging upgrades for the series. However, I don’t trust any of it.
What Samsung promises for the Galaxy S26
Wired and wireless charging improvements
After the underwhelming Galaxy S25, Samsung looks to be making significant improvements to the Galaxy S26 series.
While these leaked improvements haven’t been officially confirmed, we nevertheless have a good idea of what to expect from the Galaxy S26 series’ charging capabilities.
As previously mentioned, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will reportedly support 25W Qi2.2. wireless charging. The rest of the series will also apparently have Qi2.2 support, but their charging speeds will not match the S26 Ultra.
This is likely because the larger size of the S26 Ultra causes faster heat dissipation, the same reason why the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL supports the fastest charging speeds out of the Pixel 10 series.
Regarding wired charging speeds, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will reportedly support up to 60W wired charging speeds, although the reality will be much lower depending on the level of your phone’s battery.
Variable charging speeds are nothing new. It’s well documented that our phones charge more slowly as the charge rises to avoid unnecessary wear and tear on the battery.
I won’t trust charging speed promises until we can test the phone
Reality is harsh on charging speeds
I’ve had significant problems with the wireless charging speed of my Pixel 10 Pro since I got it. No matter how high the battery level is, it refuses to draw more than 4W over Qi or Qi2 chargers.
I’m not the only one with problems; numerous people have reported inconsistent wireless charging on the Pixel 10 series.
This is why I’m not going to get excited about the charging improvements on the Galaxy S26 series. I’m sure that charging speeds will be faster, but I doubt that everyone will experience the same speeds.
The most consistent way to achieve high wireless charging speeds on the Pixel 10 is to use it with Google’s official Qi2 charger.
However, these accessories aren’t cheap, so it’s no surprise that people are frustrated that their existing, otherwise functional, chargers aren’t working.
For example, my Qi2 Peak Design charger is sturdy enough to last me years, if not decades. But what’s the point when I need to replace it to take advantage of faster wireless charging speeds?
I’m worried that the Galaxy S26 series will suffer from the same problems. Teething issues are expected with new features, but having to replace perfectly good wireless chargers is a frustrating experience.
If Samsung drops the ball again with the Galaxy S26’s wireless charging capabilities, I’m unsure there will be much to be excited about.
If wireless charging flops, what else is there to look forward to in the Galaxy S26 series?
It could be another dud from Samsung
Other rumors about the Galaxy S26 series aren’t as positive.
Despite the massive requirements for memory and storage on modern smartphones, thanks to AI features, Samsung is reportedly not increasing the RAM of any Galaxy S26 devices. Similarly, we may not see storage upgrades on the Galaxy S26 and S26+.
This isn’t the only hardware element rumored not to receive an update.
The Galaxy S26 Ultra will supposedly use the same rear camera sensors as those on the S25 Ultra. The telephoto shooter will be upgraded, but as it’s the same size (10MP), you shouldn’t expect noticeable upgrades in your photos.
However, all these features need real-world testing before we can say whether the Galaxy S26 will be worth buying. But if smartphone prices are increasing, it may be one to skip.
The Galaxy S26 series may struggle to offer good value for money
All the features I’ve discussed in this article are rumored, so we’ll need to wait until we have the device in our hands before we can declare our verdict.
However, if we see a significant jump in smartphone prices, then it may be tough to recommend any device in the Galaxy S26 series, regardless of how good its hardware is.
