The Galaxy S26 battery upgrades have me stoked about the future of smartphones

Samsung has been using the same 5,000 mAh battery across its Galaxy flagships for so long that I had basically given up hoping for something better. If anyone was thinking of going for a Galaxy S25 Ultra or similar, I’d let them know that they’d be stuck with a battery from half a decade ago.

While no news about Samsung increasing the battery capacity for the Galaxy S26 phones has surfaced, other exciting reports paint a very promising picture. Samsung, it seems, is finally waking up and improving its batteries.

Whether it’s because Apple recently overtook it with the iPhone 17 Pro, or if this is something that the company had been planning for a while anyway, I’m stoked either way. And not just for Galaxy phones.

All Galaxy S26 phones will have better batteries

The base model Galaxy S26 will apparently support 20W wireless charging, over the 15W limit of its predecessor. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S26 Plus will also do the same, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra will support up to 25W of wireless charging.

Additionally, the Galaxy S26 Ultra will come with 60W wired fast charging, which is a respectable jump from the previous 45W that has been around for a few years as well. So, though the battery capacities will likely remain the same, at least you’ll be able to jump back in quicker than before.

Following the pack, Samsung?

The only reason that Samsung may have finally decided to improve its batteries is because its biggest competitors in the U.S. — Apple and Google — have recently done the same. Google Pixel 10 Pro XL shipped with 25W wireless charging this year, and Apple introduced 25W wireless charging with the iPhone 16 Pro.

Samsung, in my opinion, has been doing the bare minimum recently to stay ahead of the pack in most aspects. The company went above and beyond with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and it sold like mad all across the world. I really wish that Samsung would show its S-series flagships this much love as well.

However, whatever the reason for the improvements may be, I’m stoked. Because this may mean better smartphones for all of us in the coming years.

A catalyst for a smartphone revolution?

If Samsung, Apple, and Google are finally improving certain parts of their batteries, it makes me hopeful for other much-needed upgrades as well.

Chinese smartphones have been shipping with ludicrously fast charging speeds and massive batteries for years, but these three have remained complacent. But, if one of them suddenly improves something for its U.S. audience, the other two immediately want in for fear of being left behind and losing valuable market share.

Faster wired and wireless charging is just a start. With Apple and Samsung marketing the iPhone Air and the Galaxy S25 Edge, I’m incredibly hopeful that they’ll finally adopt silicon batteries like their Chinese counterparts.

Silicon batteries would mean normal battery life on their super slim models, and much longer battery life on their other flagship models, including the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the foldable iPhone. We can go from marketing “all-day battery life” to “two-day battery life” instead.

Like the obsession with cameras and slimmer phones, we might see a competition between the three for the largest battery. Which is something that would actually hugely benefit the average consumer. Longer-lasting batteries are one of the most tangible improvements that the average smartphone user can see.

Basically, I’m holding out hope for this just like I’m hopeful that the 20th anniversary iPhone Pro will usher in an era of smartphones with cutout-free displays.

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