It's time Samsung bumped up battery capacity on its Ultra phones

The Galaxy S20 Ultra, which was launched in 2020, was Samsung's first phone with a 5,000mAh battery. Despite a much smaller battery (3,969mAh), its rival, the iPhone 11 Pro Max, lasted longer on a single charge. That’s because iPhones usually need a relatively smaller battery to offer the same battery life as competing Android phones.

It is a perk of designing hardware and software completely in-house, which is something that only Apple can do at the moment. Since then, Apple has continued to bump up the battery capacity of iPhone Pro Max models.

Samsung, on the other hand, has used the same 5,000mAh batteries in all its Galaxy S Ultra phones launched since the Galaxy S20 Ultra. That’s partly because, on paper, it had a lead in terms of battery capacity compared to iPhones.

But iPhones have been offering longer battery life than Galaxy S Ultra phones for quite some time, and things are now getting worse for Samsung.

Apple has not just finally caught up with Samsung but has surpassed the company in terms of battery capacity. The latest top-of-the-line iPhone, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, comes packed with a 5,088mAh battery, offering 2% higher capacity than the Galaxy S25 Ultra's 5,000mAh battery.

Considering that iPhones offer higher power efficiency, the iPhone 17 Pro Max offers significantly longer battery backup than the Galaxy S25 Ultra. So, the latest iPhone Pro Max has beaten the latest Galaxy S Ultra phone not just in battery life but in battery capacity as well. Samsung no longer has an edge over Apple in terms of battery, even on paper.

It also means that Samsung will no longer have a valid reason not to bump up the battery capacity of Galaxy S Ultra phones, unless the brand is okay with these devices falling behind rival iPhones and disappointing its fans.

According to multiple leaks and rumours, the Galaxy S26 Ultra has a 5,000mAh battery. Samsung is already too deep into the phone's development to bump up the battery capacity now. It means that we may have to wait till the Galaxy S27 Ultra for any bump in battery capacity. Until then, Samsung fans will have to bear Apple loyalists flexing.