Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Leak Teases Slimmer Design, Faster Charging, But Same Battery

There's a new leak indicating Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra will prioritize design minimalism and charging improvements, leaving battery capacity intact. According to Weibo leaker, Ice Universe, Samsung intends to have the Galaxy S26 Ultra less than 8mm thick, a significant reduction from the Galaxy S25 Ultra's 8.2mm thickness.

Even with the slimmer design, the phone will allegedly carry the same 5,000mAh battery Samsung used in earlier Ultra models. This might be a letdown for users looking for a power upgrade, as against flagships from rivals, such as the OnePlus 13, which will have bigger batteries due to silicon-carbon technology.

Galaxy S26 Edge Might Bring Improved Battery Innovation

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra Leak Teases Slimmer Design, Faster Charging

Notably, the leak also suggests that the Galaxy S26 Edge will gain from newer battery technology, which would enable Samsung to add capacity without losing thinness. It is not clear why the same strategy isn't being used on the Ultra version, particularly considering the need for improved endurance in high-end flagships.

This design tradeoff implies the S26 Ultra might once again lag behind the competition in battery life, despite delivering high-end performance and construction quality. Samsung is more concerned with form and engineering refinement than the pursuit of spec-sheet dominance.

60W Fast Charging to Counter Small Battery Size

One major upgrade revealed in the leak is support for 60W wired charging, up from the original 45W. According to Android Police, this should significantly reduce charging time, helping make up for the unchanged battery size.

Based on current Samsung charging patterns, the entire 60W output might be triggered only when the battery is close to empty. This might constrain the effect of the upgrade for people who constantly top up during the day instead of charging from scratch.

Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 'For Galaxy' to Power the S26 Lineup

Samsung will equip its Galaxy devices with a custom Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip, reportedly clocked at 4.74GHz—faster than the standard 4.47GHz.

Built on TSMC's new node, the chip promises better thermal efficiency and lower power consumption, especially during light tasks. This should give the S26 Ultra a noticeable performance boost in both benchmarks and daily use, highlighting Samsung's deepening collaboration with Qualcomm on flagship-optimized silicon.

Samsung Bets on Design and AI, Not Bigger Specs

Despite falling behind some rivals on brute specs such as battery capacity, Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra has become the company's top-selling Ultra device over the recent past. Slim design, premium build quality, and extreme AI integration appear to have trumped the absence of eye-catching hardware enhancements.

The Galaxy S26 Ultra appears ready to double down on that recipe—delivering polished looks, better charging, and bleeding-edge performance, while avoiding the urge to pump up the specs war.

Samsung seems to prioritize user experience and design consistency over chasing raw specs.