Samsung is becoming more like Apple in its copy-paste innovation. For all the times we’ve mocked iOS' annual same phone routine, the Ultra line has been low-key doing the same thing. Now, new leaks confirm that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will ship with a 5,000mAh battery for the fifth consecutive year since the S20 Ultra in 2020. It's not so surprising, but it's still disappointing.
S26 Ultra will come with a 5000mAh battery
A post has surfaced on X by tech leaker @UniverseIce, known for revealing early details about upcoming smartphones, especially Samsung devices. They shared a leak (well, more like three words, actually) that the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra will come with a 5,000mAh battery.
5,000mAh isn’t that bad. In fact, past models like the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra delivered excellent battery life. They had efficient chips, optimized software, and power-saving LTPO displays. So from a user experience standpoint, a well-optimized 5,000mAh battery can last just as long, or even longer, than a poorly optimized 6,000mAh cell.
Except that we'd hoped for a break in the long standing streak. While Samsung is playing it safe, other brands like OnePlus, Vivo, and Xiaomi have started using silicon-carbon (Si/C) battery technology, which allows for larger capacity batteries up to 6,000mAh in the same physical space as a traditional 5,000mAh pack. Silicon-carbon batteries store more energy per unit volume than standard lithium-ion cells.
Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 and a possibly faster charging speed
The S25 Ultra may not get a bigger battery this year, but it has a faster processor, thinner edges, a more compact frame, and even a new 200MP camera sensor. Samsung is making the smarter choice by going with expensive TSMC chips to produce the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 instead of risking performance issues with their own experimental 2-nanometer process.
Other leaks also suggest that the brand might finally break past their 45W ceiling. Another leak originally posted by user @chunvn8888 on X, also known as “Yawn”, claims that the phone will have a 5,500mAh battery with 65W charging. Although the capacity has now been debunked, we hope for the higher charging speed.
Theoretically, a phone charging at 45W with a 5000mAh battery pulls enough power to fill that battery in about 1 hour and 6 minutes. That is, 5000mAh ÷ 45W = ~1.1 hours), assuming 100% efficiency, which never happens. Charging is never that clean. It starts off fast and then deliberately slows down near the end to protect the battery.
The first 50–70% may be quick, after which the phone slows down dramatically to protect battery health. That’s why it usually takes about 55 to 65 minutes to charge a Samsung device fully. But if they're shifting to 65W or 80W charging, then technically the phone should charge under 50 minutes.
Again, that is 5000mAh ÷ 65W = ~0.77 hours = ~46 minutes. At 80W, that drops closer to under 40 minutes. So, we’re realistically looking at 15–25 minutes saved on a full charge, and possibly 50% charge in just 15–18 minutes. But it's worth stating that I'm terrible at math, so you'll want to take these calculations with caution.
