I missed this old Galaxy Watch feature on holiday

I took my Galaxy Watch Ultra 2 on holiday recently, but it spent quite a bit of the trip with a dead battery because I couldn't be bothered to keep using its dedicated charger.

I hate having to carry around an extra charger for my watch. Actually, I hate needing a separate watch charger in general. I already have my phone to keep charged, and I'd much rather use that phone to charge my watch as well.

Samsung used to let us do exactly that. You could turn on the Wireless PowerShare feature on a supported Galaxy phone, put a compatible Galaxy Watch on the back of the phone, and let it charge. There was no need to carry the watch's charger with you.

But Samsung dropped that support starting with the Galaxy Watch 7 and the original Galaxy Watch Ultra. So while my phone still has Wireless PowerShare, I can't use it to charge my Watch Ultra 2.

Samsung's explanation is that changes to the rear sensor and back glass moved the watch's charging coil farther away from the charger. I understand there's a reason it no longer works, but I still wish Samsung had found a way to keep it.

In fact, I also have a third-party wireless charger with a dedicated watch charging pad that works with the original Galaxy Watch Ultra and the Watch 8 series, but it won't charge my Watch Ultra 2 or the Watch 9.

That makes me wonder if Samsung has moved the charging coil even farther inside these newer watches, though I can't say for sure. Whatever the reason, it feels like Samsung has taken another step backward with charging compatibility.

The Watch 7 and Watch Ultra didn't support Wireless PowerShare, but they and the Watch 8 series still worked with my third-party charger. With the Watch Ultra 2 and Watch 9, I don't have even that option.

And yes, I know using the dedicated charger isn't exactly hard. I just don't like having to keep a separate charger around for the watch.

I always have my phone with me, and being able to put the watch on its back for a bit would have made me more likely to actually charge it.

It also feels a little silly that Samsung lets me charge compatible earbuds and even other phones from the back of my Galaxy phone, but its own newer watches aren't supported anymore.

I don't think wanting that convenience back is asking for too much. I would rather have one less charger to pack and deal with, especially when I'm on holiday.

Hopefully, Samsung can bring Wireless PowerShare support back on future Galaxy watches. It was useful, and my holiday trip reminded me just how much.