{"id":538734,"date":"2026-03-15T21:15:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T21:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/538734\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T21:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T21:15:12","slug":"galaxy-s26-ultra-proves-fast-charging-only-matters-if-you-can-use-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/538734\/","title":{"rendered":"Galaxy S26 Ultra proves fast charging only matters if you can use it"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Samsung\u2019s new Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn\u2019t have the best battery, nor does it have the fastest charging, but a recent experience reminded me that faster charging isn\u2019t useful if you can\u2019t easily use it.<\/p>\n

This issue of 9to5Google Weekender is a part of 9to5Google\u2019s rebooted newsletter that highlights the biggest Google stories with added commentary and other tidbits. Sign up here<\/a> to get it delivered to your inbox early!<\/p>\n

Fast charging has been a priority on smartphones for years now, with numbers increasing for the better part of a decade now. The \u201caverage\u201d offering is usually somewhere around 30W, depending on brand and a host of other factors. But there are some truly wild numbers out there, and they\u2019re not super new either. 80W<\/a>, 100W<\/a>, 120W<\/a>, 125W<\/a>, and even 150W<\/a> have been around for years, and it\u2019s great. I\u2019ve been super impressed by the speedy charging of various OnePlus devices, for example, which can literally show the 0.01% charge added often by the second. <\/p>\n

Yet, there\u2019s one big problem with a lot of these fast charging systems.<\/p>\n

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You can\u2019t always use them.<\/p>\n

SuperVOOC and the host of other unworldly fast charging systems out there work really well, but only if you have the hardware on hand. That usually means a very specific charging brick and cable. There\u2019s a reason, after everyone else ditched them, that OnePlus still includes a charger in the box. You can\u2019t simply go out and buy one. <\/p>\n

I feel this comes into the picture even more when it comes to battery banks, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra really reinforced the point for me.<\/p>\n

As mentioned in our Galaxy S26 Ultra review<\/a> this week, I was recently stuck in the Atlanta airport due to some severe weather delays and, after having already been on a 9-hour flight back from London earlier in the day, the additional several hours in Atlanta were stretching my phones to their limit. With hundreds of other travelers stuck in the same situation, outlets were increasingly hard to find, which meant I was pushed to stick with my battery bank instead. The Galaxy S26 Ultra I was primarily using was completely up to that task, with the 100W battery fully utilizing Samsung\u2019s new 60W charging speeds. Within just a few minutes, I\u2019d gone from under 20% to around 60%, leaving me fairly confident I\u2019d be able to make it through whatever madness laid in store for night ahead \u2014 it easily ended up lasting through 3am when I finally made it home.<\/p>\n

In thinking back on the experience, it really turned out to be the selling point for Samsung\u2019s faster charging. Not only was I able to quickly fill up my battery, but I did so without anything special. No specific charging brick, no specific battery. Just the standard charger I had on hand. Seeing as my Galaxy Z Fold 7, Pixel 10, and other main devices barely hit 30W wired charging speeds, that 60W really came in handy, otherwise I would have had to rely on keeping my phone plugged in a whole lot longer \u2014 or using one of those Qi2 batteries that I do love<\/a>, but are objectively slower.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to say this is particularly unique to Samsung. The OnePlus 15, for example, features 120W SuperVOOC charging, but also USB-PD charging speeds of around 45-50W. SuperVOOC is great, it has its place, but I think USB-PD is the more important spec just because it\u2019s broadly available in so many devices and accessories.<\/p>\n

What do you think? Would you rather have faster charging but limited charging options, or slighty slower charging with near infinite options? I know my answer.<\/p>\n

This Week\u2019s Top Stories<\/p>\n

Google Maps just got its biggest update in years<\/p>\n

As Google continues to bring Gemini to, well, everything, Maps is next in line. In what is easily the navigation app\u2019s biggest update in years, \u201cAsk Maps\u201d and \u201cImmersive Navigation\u201d are now rolling out.<\/p>\n

More Top Stories<\/p>\n

From the rest of 9to5<\/p>\n

9to5Mac: Tim Cook celebrates Apple\u2019s \u201850 Years of Thinking Different\u2019 in new letter<\/a><\/p>\n

9to5Toys: MacBook launch week deals: Up to $320 off Air, $200 off M5 Pro models, Neo from $569, more<\/a><\/p>\n

Electrek: Pennsylvania just funded 12 new EV charging stations \u2013 here\u2019s where they\u2019re going<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow Ben:\u00a0Twitter\/X<\/a>,\u00a0Threads<\/a>, Bluesky<\/a>, and\u00a0Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

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