Details about Samsung's forthcoming Galaxy S25 Ultra have been leaking, revealing details about the battery and charging speed.
Perhaps shockingly though, it's not expected that Samsung will make any changes over previous devices.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra isn't expected to launch until January 2025, but we're already hearing details about what will surely be of the best phones of the next generation.
However, the latest leak about the battery and charging speeds could shock you.
Samsung is the biggest player in Android phones. According to Canalys data, in the first quarter of the year, Samsung took 20% of the global smartphone market, a figure that will surprise no one. Yet, when it comes to charging speeds, Samsung isn't a market leader by any stretch.
In our review of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Mike Lowe highlighted that the "charging remains slower than flagship competition".
This sort of criticism has been common of Samsung. While brands like Motorola or OnePlus have accelerated away with fast charging speeds, Samsung hasn't kept pace.
The shocking news is that nothing is changing.
According to Digital Chat Station, a reliable leaker who plies their trade on Weibo (via 91mobiles), the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is expected to launch with a 5,000mAh battery and charging speeds of 45W, so there's really change from the previous model.
Why does Samsung use slow charging speeds?
Samsung has had extensive experience with smartphones and those with even a short memory will remember "GalaxyNote7gate". The Galaxy Note 7 was recalled because of a battery fault, bringing with it a risk of catching alight. While that's the biggest thing in Samsung's battery history, that's probably not the reason for slower charging.
Slower charging is better for battery health. There's less heat generated when charging slowly which is better for longevity of the battery. The advice is always to manage the charging of the battery and not just use the fastest charging all the time to top up your device.
This fits with Samsung having a lot of devices in circulation, as well as an expectation that your Samsung phone is going to last for a long time.
The same applies for other big brands. The iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn't offer fast charging, instead topping out around 25W, while the Google Pixel 8 Pro (not a big player, but designed to last a long time) offers 30W. Samsung's concern is more about longevity of the device, rather than reducing the charging time.
The other side of the argument is why you need to charge fast. I'm a big fan of fast charging, but only because it can save your bacon when you're rushing out of the house and have forgotten to charge your phone.
Being able to blast your phone at 125W while having a shower, knowing you'll come back to a device that's almost at 100%, is reassuring – but it's not designed for everyday use.
Samsung will continue to attract criticism for not keeping up with faster charging brands and it looks like that's going to be true of the Galaxy S25 Ultra too. On the flip side, the company is likely to lead with innovation elsewhere – in the camera, in the display, if not in the interface.
