Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 65W Internal Tests Aren’t Promising

October has been an exciting month for the Galaxy S26 Series. We’ve recently learned of the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s camera details via a leak from ß. Now, we may have a clear idea of what’s to come for charging speeds with the next Ultra. Unfortunately, it’s not good news, and it may also explain why Samsung is having a difficult time choosing between Exynos and Snapdragon.

Qualcomm could jeopardize 65W charging for Galaxy S26 Ultra

Samsung and Qualcomm have had a fruitful relationship these last few years, which we have seen with their semi-custom chipset for the Galaxy S25 Series. The Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy has ProScaler and a boost in low-light video performance. Samsung was able to fine-tune the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy to consume less power for day-to-day tasks. If Samsung has done the same for the next-generation chipset, it seems that won’t be enough.

ß revealed Galaxy S26 Ultra’s charging speed and thermals are playing a role with its inclusion. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is Samsung’s current obstacle, and after speaking with ß, Exynos doesn’t share this same limitation.

ß discussing Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 65W Charging

Moreover, the Galaxy Note 7 disaster still haunts Samsung to this day; they even have a ‘NOTE-7’ Compliance Protocol. We’ve seen how reluctant the company is to increase the battery capacity on the Galaxy S Ultra line. It has remained the same since the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which tells us that Samsung is playing it safe.

Qualcomm’s chipsets are prone to overheating

This feels like a recurring issue after the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. All subsequent models, including the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, reported overheating when running a benchmark. The Snapdragon 8 Elite had the same issues, so much so that running a benchmark forced the Honor Magic 7 Pro to shut down. We could say that different OEMs have different cooling solutions, but the Snapdragon 8 Elite had another instance with the Realme GT7 Pro.

Moreover, it looks like Qualcomm’s issues are solved with more expenses. The chipset is hotter than its predecessor, so it requires a larger vapor chamber. It isn’t as efficient as it’s predecessor, meaning a larger battery for sustained endurance.

As with previous leaks, it’s best to take this with a grain of salt. Samsung’s plan can still change before Unpacked, which we now know is scheduled for February 25, 2026.