The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is set to be the next big evolution in Samsung’s flagship phone series, and one of the most highly anticipated changes is rumored to be a new 60W charging speed.
However, leaked charging tests from IceUniverse may mean this upgrade isn’t as huge as you might think (via Android Authority). If these tests are accurate, then it’s possible the increased charging speed may just mean the phone doesn’t recharge all that much faster than before.
60W charging is welcome, but does it make a difference?
A step in the right direction, but just a step after all
Samsung’s recent flagship phones have largely been well received, but one of the biggest criticisms they’ve garnered in the last few years has been their relatively slow recharging speeds. While rival phones from OnePlus have been capable of hitting 80W and even 100W of charge, Samsung’s fastest charging flagships refill at a paltry 45W, but most of its flagships are still stuck at a mere 25W. That’s a pretty big gulf, and it means your smartphone is stuck on a charger for longer than would be the case otherwise.
That seems to be coming to an end with the Galaxy S26 range, with the S26 Ultra specifically rumored to be receiving a much faster 60W charging rate. Only, that may not make a huge difference if testing leaked by IceUniverse is accurate.
According IceUniverse’s posts on Chinese social media website Weibo, internal tests show the S26 Ultra’s 60W charging is capable of recharging the device from empty to 75-80% in around half an hour. Sounds great, until you remember that’s more or less what a number of tests found the S25 Ultra was capable of. Keep in mind that these posts were machine translated from their original language, so some nuances may have been lost, but IceUniverse’s emoji use strikes a mocking tone, so it’s clear what he thinks of the tests.
All may not be lost for Samsung fans though. Another post by IceUniverse went on to say that these measurements were conservative, and the actual device should be capable of hitting 90% in half an hour, but it’s unclear whether this means in actual tests, or whether that is an estimated calculation.
Samsung no longer likes to provide charging estimations, probably because it no longer includes a charger with the phone that it can use as the standard, so there are no “official” numbers on how much the S25 Ultra can charge in 30 minutes. However, judging by a number of reviews, around 70-75% in half an hour is about what to expect. If we take that as the S26 Ultra’s lower end of charging expectations and 90% as the top end, then it’s clear 60W charging is an upgrade — it’s just not potentially a game-changing one.
Still, we won’t know for sure until people have had a chance to test it. And besides, is charging speed really that important to you?
