Samsung phones may finally get much-needed upgrade | Tech News

Samsung Galaxy phones are bestsellers, however that doesn’t essentially imply they’re the best at all the things they do. While units such because the Galaxy S25 Ultra are a pleasure to make use of, in my time as a telephone reviewer, there may be one factor about Samsung phones that’s noticeably inferior to rivals equivalent to OnePlus, Xiaomi and Oppo – and that’s charging speeds.

The S25 Ultra can charge at up to 45W wired and 15W wirelessly, which is significantly slower than the OnePlus 15’s 120W wired and 50W wired capabilities. The OnePlus can charge quicker wirelessly than the Samsung can wired, which is all of the more embarrassing for Samsung when the S25 Ultra prices £1,249, £350 more than the OnePlus 15.

Even more pitiful is the bottom £799 Galaxy S25, which has 25W wired speeds.

According to experiences from Android Authority, Samsung could possibly be engaged on an enchancment to the charging speeds of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which is predicted to launch in early 2026.

Clues have been uncovered within the code for One UI 8.5, which is the as-yet-unreleased subsequent model of Samsung’s Android software program.

Samsung manufacturers its 25W chargings speeds as Super Fast Charging and its 45W speeds as Super Fast Charging 2.0. Leaked code comprises references to “Super Fast Charging 3.0”, which it’s thought refers to doable 60W wired speeds that could possibly be coming to the next-gen S26 Ultra.

Android Authority additionally noticed references within the One UI 8.5 codebase to “Super fast wireless charging”. This just isn’t displayed on any present Samsung telephone when it’s charging wirelessly, with the S25 Ultra’s top-of-the-Samsung-line 15W wi-fi speeds known as “fast wireless charging”.

It’s thought the new step up would see the S26 Ultra gain 25W wi-fi charging. But even when it will get that plus 60W wired speeds, the firm can be lagging behind OnePlus.

In truth, the Google Pixel 10 can charge at 30W wired and 15 wirelessly, the Oppo Find X9 Pro at 80W wired and 55W wirelessly, and the Honor Magic 7 Pro at 100W wired and 80W wirelessly.

The Oppo and Honor phones right here have adopted newer silicon-carbon battery tech, that are more power dense and so can pack more mAh into the identical measurement batteries because the lithium-ion tech nonetheless utilized by Samsung and Google.

These charging enhancements may level to Samsung’s ongoing warning about battery technology ever because the Galaxy Note 7 disaster of 2017, which noticed the Note 7 recalled and finally cancelled after its batteries caught fire.

Samsung has since lagged behind rivals in each battery measurement and charging speeds.

All of this of course comes with the huge caveat that though charging speeds on phones are bettering, hardly any phones within the UK now include a charger within the box, which means anybody eager to take benefit of their new gadget’s zippy prime ups must fork out more money for the precise fast charger.