Samsung’s next Ultra flagship is now a little less mysterious, thanks to a fresh listing on China’s Quality Certification Center (CQC). The certification confirms that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will once again ship with a 5,000mAh battery (rated at 4,855mAh, model EB-BS948ABY). That’s the exact same cell used in the Galaxy S25 Ultra — and every Ultra model going back to the S20 Ultra in 2020.
Leaks had suggested the S26 Ultra might finally see a bump to 5,400mAh or even 5,500mAh, but the certification shuts that down. Samsung is instead relying on faster charging as its key upgrade, with the phone expected to support 60W wired charging. That’s a step up from the 45W standard the company has been sticking with since the S22 Ultra.
Efficiency isn’t exclusive to S26 Ultra
Samsung’s other play is efficiency. The S26 Ultra is almost confirmed to run on the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, paired with software optimizations in One UI 8 (Android 16). In theory, that means better battery life even with the same capacity.
But here’s the catch: those same chipsets and Android-level optimizations will also power upcoming flagships from Oppo, Vivo, OnePlus, and Xiaomi. Many of those rivals are already testing or launching phones with 7,000mAh+ batteries and charging speeds well past 80W. In comparison, Samsung’s efficiency gains may not translate into a noticeable edge — at least not against devices that combine both larger batteries and faster charging.
Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy S26 Ultra in January 2026, with pricing to start at or above the S25 Ultra’s $1,299 launch price. Alongside its unchanged battery capacity, the S26 Ultra is expected to bring a refreshed design with more rounded corners and Samsung’s familiar 200MP camera setup.
For loyal Samsung fans, the Ultra will still deliver strong all-day endurance. But in the bigger picture, the lack of a capacity bump could make it harder for Samsung to keep pace with Chinese rivals pushing battery life into entirely new territory.
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