The Galaxy S26 Ultra finally broke Samsung's 45W wired charging ceiling. At 60W, it's not the fastest out there, but after years of waiting, it was the upgrade I was most looking forward to when I got the phone.
Then I actually started using the phone, and I haven't thought much about 60W charging since. The reason is the 25W wireless charging. Thanks to the upgrade to 25W, wireless charging no longer feels pointless.
Going from 15W to 25W sounds like a modest bump on paper, but in practice, the speed increase is notable. I put the phone on the pad while I'm at my desk, pick it up when I leave, and now, it's usually at a charge level I'm happy with. Half an hour on a 25W wireless charger charges the phone to a little over 40%, which is considerably faster than 15W wireless charging.
I now reach for the cable mostly when I need a quick charge before heading out and don't have time to wait. And in those moments, yes, 60W is faster than 45W (even if not by a huge margin). But those moments are rare.
I think I assumed faster wired charging would change how I charged the phone. Instead it was the wireless charging upgrade that did that.
A few things to know before buying a 25W wireless charger
That said, before you go buy a wireless charger for the S26 Ultra, there are a few things worth knowing. First, the S26 Ultra's camera lenses are arranged vertically, meaning they extend further down the phone than on most other devices. This means the phone won't sit flat on a square charging pad, so go with a round one to avoid alignment issues.
Second, you'll need at least a 45W wired charger powering the wireless pad. Anything lower will charge the phone at 15W, not 25W. More details about that here.
Third, the S26 Ultra doesn't have built-in magnets, so you'll need a magnetic case for the phone to align properly with the charger. You may also find that your case doesn't work properly with 25W charging, though in our testing with at least three different third-party cases, the S26 Ultra charged at 25W just fine.
Post a Comment