Galaxy S22 Ultra charging speed upgrade will be modest again

Samsung has made great strides in the smartphone market, but there is one technology in particular where it seems to be stuck in the past. While the rest of its competitors have gone above and beyond when it comes to charging, even Samsung's flagships haven't moved forward considerably. It did make a step forward last year but then took a step back again this year. It seems that the Galaxy S22 Ultra will continue the dance next year with a half-step forward in terms of charging speeds.

On the one hand, it's a bit understandable that Samsung is wary of super-fast charging technologies that result in higher thermal output. After the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, the company has been more modest when it comes to improving its battery-related components and features. And when it does make upgrades, it only takes very careful baby steps forward.

Xiaomi recently launched the 11T Pro that boasted its fastest 120W HyperCharge technology. In contrast, the Galaxy S21 Ultra only supported 25W fast charging. Aside from a brief upgrade to 45W with the Galaxy Note 10+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra, Samsung has stuck to that moderate charging speed for quite a while now.

According to @Ice Universe, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will again move forward, but only back to that same 45W fast-charging speed. That's pretty disappointing considering next year's flagship was initially rumored to jump to 65W, the base fast-charging speed for many high-end smartphones these days. Still, 45W is still better than sticking to 25W in 2022.

The tipster also claimed that the Galaxy S22 series would stick to a punch-hole cutout rather than an under-panel sensor, probably to the relief of many Samsung fans. That said, it does seem to paint a picture of a modest upgrade next year, which might not bode well in terms of interest and potential sales.