Galaxy S26 Ultra’s 25W Fast Wireless Charging Isn’t So Fast With Every Case

One of the headline upgrades on the Galaxy S26 Ultra is faster 25W wireless charging. This is a noticeable improvement over the 15W wireless charging speeds on previous Galaxy models. However, early reports suggest that reaching those speeds may be far more complicated than expected. This is especially true when using certain cases.

Surprisingly complicated setup for 25W wireless charging

According to a report from Piunkiaweb, you need a specific combination of accessories to unlock the maximum 25W wireless charging speed on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The setup includes: Samsung’s Magnetic Wireless Charger, a 45W power adapter, and a Qi2.2-compatible magnetic case. Without the correct combination, the phone may default to slower wireless charging speeds. 

However, the situation becomes even more confusing when some official Samsung cases also fail to reach 25W charging. According to tests from accessory maker dbrand, while answering a post on Reddit, several Samsung magnet cases, including the Silicone, Clear, Rugged, and Slim magnet cases, could not reach the full 25W wireless charging speed. Instead, the charging rate consistently remained around 15W.

We can also confirm that this behavior appears in real-world use. Our fellow SammyGuru TechOut (Coiin) and Jeff Springer report that the Galaxy S26 Ultra does reach the fastest wireless charging speeds only in certain setups. In Colin’s testing, the feature worked correctly with the Spigen Ultra Hybrid case. Meanwhile, other cases failed to trigger the same charging speed.

This suggests that case design, magnet alignment, and compatibility with Qi2 accessories likely play a significant role in whether the phone reaches its advertised charging speed. Also, the issue may be related to a “proprietary handshake” tied to Qi2.2 wireless charging. This could limit compatibility between chargers, cases, and the phone itself. Adding to the confusion, the Galaxy S26 series doesn’t include built-in magnets. Therefore, users must rely on magnetic cases to properly align the phone with compatible chargers.

Despite these issues, wireless charging itself still works reliably on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. In most scenarios, users can still expect around 15W wireless charging, which remains consistent across a wide range of chargers and cases. 

Samsung hasn’t clarified the situation yet

So far, Samsung hasn’t provided an official explanation for the compatibility problems. Meanwhile, accessory manufacturers are still trying to determine exactly which combinations of chargers and cases unlock the full 25W speed.

However, the current situation makes the 25W upgrade feel less straightforward than Samsung’s specs might suggest. Until the situation becomes clearer, Galaxy S26 Ultra users may need to experiment with different chargers and cases to see which setup actually delivers the phone’s fastest wireless charging performance.