Brace yourselves for a major Galaxy S26 Ultra battery disappointment… and a possible silver lining

Mere hours after discussing a pretty encouraging rumor regarding the potential battery technology upgrades of next year’s Galaxy S26 family, we find ourselves in the delicate position of analyzing an even newer report suggesting Samsung’s next big thing will not in fact enlarge its predecessor’s cell size.

Of course, no matter how you look at the information leaked by the usually very reliable folks over at GalaxyClub in the Netherlands (translated here), it’s hard not to be disappointed and wonder what Samsung is thinking leaving its best phone without a key improvement for the sixth (!!!) consecutive year.

5,000mAh is an unacceptable number for a 2026 super-flagship!

Yes, ladies and gents, I’m afraid there’s a very good chance that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will keep the S20 Ultra‘s 5,000mAh battery capacity completely unchanged. That’s not a typo, mind you, as the Galaxy S20 Ultra, S21 Ultra, S22 Ultra, S23 Ultra, S24 Ultra, and S25 Ultra all settled for the exact same battery size between 2020 and 2025.

Was the Galaxy S20 Ultra ahead of its time or is Samsung lagging behind the competition now? Or both? | Image Credit — PhoneArena

In contrast, today’s OnePlus 13 packs a 6,000mAh cell, something like the Oppo Find X8 Ultra takes that number up to 6,100mAh, and Motorola’s mid-range Moto G86 Power somehow manages to squeeze a 6,720mAh ticker into a sub-9mm body weighing less than 200 grams.

And these are just some of the battery life champions available right now, with many more (like the 7,000mAh OnePlus 15) expected to come out before the Galaxy S26 Ultra does. Granted, Samsung could still employ various new and old hardware and software tricks to try to maximize this bad boy’s endurance between charges, but even if those efforts will miraculously succeed, it’s obviously unlikely that the S26 Ultra will be able to keep up with next year’s best Android phones in this very important department.

Wait, so what’s the silver lining?

If you’ve been closely following the latest mobile industry trends, you probably won’t be shocked to hear that the Galaxy S26 Ultra could well reduce its predecessor’s thickness as a direct consequence of the unchanged battery capacity.

That’s because the 5,000mAh cell inside Samsung‘s next super-flagship might actually be physically smaller than the 5,000mAh battery under the S25 Ultra’s hood, at least based on a social media leaker’s hunch.

While this is pure speculation (for the time being), there’s definitely a possibility that the ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge will inspire not just a Galaxy S26 Edge model, but a Galaxy S26 Ultra with a slimmer profile as well.

If we’re being totally honest, the S25 Ultra is a bit chunky. | Image Credit — PhoneArena

Is a thinner handset a good thing and a notable upgrade? Absolutely. But not if that change happens to the detriment of a much-needed battery capacity enhancement. Clearly, this is the wrong decision on Samsung’s part… if it’s true, although for what it’s worth, @UniverseIce, aka Ice Universe, aka PhoneArt also believes the S26 Ultra could “substantially improve” the S25 Ultra’s rather disappointing (by flagship standards) 45W charging speeds.

On a totally unrelated note, GalaxyClub expects the S26 Ultra to come with a 200MP primary rear-facing camera, and while nothing is etched in stone yet, that may well be the exact same sensor used on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Sounds like another reason not to get too excited about Samsung’s 2026 crown jewel, although it’s obviously far too early to draw pessimistic conclusions regarding the box-office prospects of the Galaxy S26 Ultra in particular or the S26 series in general.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian’s passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for ‘adequate’ over ‘overpriced’.

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