Report: The charging speed of Galaxy S26 Ultra is not very promising

Details of the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s camera have recently surfaced via a leak from user ß. Now, it looks like we have a fairly clear picture of the charging speed status of the Ultra model as well. Unfortunately, the news is not so good, and maybe this explains why Samsung is having a hard time choosing between the Exynos and Snapdragon chips.

In recent years, the collaboration between Samsung and Qualcomm has been very fruitful. A prime example of this can be seen in the semi-custom Snapdragon 8 Elite chip for Galaxy in the Galaxy S25 series. This chip has ProScaler capability and improved low-light video performance. Samsung was able to adjust the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip for the Galaxy in such a way that it consumes less energy in daily tasks. If Samsung has taken the same approach for the next generation, it seems that this effort alone will not be enough.

User ß revealed that the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s charging speed and thermal management played a decisive role in Samsung’s decision to use the chip. The Snapdragon 8 Elite 5th generation chip is currently Samsung’s biggest hurdle, and according to ß, the Exynos chip has no such limitation.

Besides, the Galaxy Note 7 debacle still haunts Samsung. The company even has a protocol called NOTE-7 Compliance Protocol. Samsung has been very cautious in increasing the battery capacity of the Ultra models and has not changed it since the Galaxy S20 Ultra. This shows that Samsung is still taking a conservative approach.

This issue is reminiscent of a recurring problem that started with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. All subsequent models, including the 3rd generation Snapdragon 8, suffered from overheating during the benchmark run. The Snapdragon 8 Elite also suffers from the same problem, so much so that the Honor Magic 7 Pro shuts down when running the benchmark. Although it can be said that different companies have different cooling solutions, but this problem was repeated in another device like Realme GT7 Pro.

Additionally, Qualcomm’s solution to these problems appears to be costly. The new chip generates more heat than its predecessor and therefore requires a larger vapor chamber. Also, its energy efficiency is lower than the previous generation, which is why it needs a bigger battery to maintain performance.

As with other disclosures, this information should be viewed with caution. It is still possible that Samsung’s schedule will change before the Unpacked event, which we now know will be held on February 25, 2026 (6 March 1404).