Galaxy S26 and S26+ charging speed upgrades: What's faster, what isn't?

Samsung has refreshed the Galaxy S26 lineup with new hardware and a few battery-related changes. But when it comes to charging speeds on the Galaxy S26 and Galaxy S26+, the story is a bit mixed. Some things have improved, while others remain exactly the same as last year.

The base Galaxy S26 gets a larger battery this year. Capacity has increased from 4,000 mAh on the Galaxy S25 to 4,300 mAh on the S26.

However, charging speeds remain unchanged. The Galaxy S26 supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.

So while you get a bigger battery, you won’t see faster charging times compared to the Galaxy S25. The larger battery may actually increase charging time, though the difference will be minimal.

The Galaxy S26+ keeps the same 4,900 mAh battery as its predecessor. Wired charging also remains the same at 45W, which Samsung markets as Super Fast Charging 2.0.

The upgrade comes on the wireless side. The Galaxy S26+ supports 20W wireless charging. That’s 5W faster than before. While it’s not as fast as the Galaxy S26 Ultra, which supports 25W wireless charging, it is still a welcome improvement for users who rely on wireless chargers.

Wireless PowerShare is still available on the Galaxy S26 lineup. You can use the phone to charge earbuds, smartwatches, or other devices wirelessly. Charging speed remains unchanged at 4.5W.

None of the Galaxy S26 models include built-in magnets. If you want to use MagSafe or Qi2-style magnetic accessories, you’ll need a compatible case with magnets built in.