Danny Weber
00:59 01-12-2025
© A. Krivonosov
Samsung's One UI 8.5 adds Super Fast Charging 3.0, debuting on Galaxy S26 Ultra with 60W charging. Faster top-ups, new hardware, no support for older models.
Samsung is gearing up for a noticeable leap in charging speed. Code in the upcoming One UI 8.5 firmware reveals a mention of a new Super Fast Charging 3.0 feature, and leaks point to its first appearance on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. The headline change is support for 60W wired charging, a sizable jump from the S25 Ultra’s familiar 45W.
With battery capacities staying the same, that extra headroom should cut top-up times substantially—an update many users have been waiting for. Against rivals, Samsung has clearly been trailing: Xiaomi, OnePlus, and others have been offering 100W-and-above solutions for years, while the South Korean brand held to 45W in its premium models and 25W across most of the lineup.
The S26 Ultra would be the first Galaxy to break past 45W. The flip side is less pleasant: Super Fast Charging 3.0 won’t be supported on older devices. The feature depends on new hardware—refreshed battery cells and better heat dissipation—available only in the next flagship. Earlier models simply can’t run safely at 60W.
There’s also an open question: is Super Fast Charging 3.0 purely a hardware move, or will Samsung layer in software improvements? If it’s solely about a new 60W protocol, owners of older phones shouldn’t expect much. But if the company introduces a smarter AI-based charging controller, in theory it could trim charging times a bit even on 25–45W devices by managing heat and current more precisely.
For now, everything suggests Super Fast Charging 3.0 is the start of a new chapter in charging rather than a universal upgrade. The code is already present in One UI 8.5 and the feature will debut alongside the Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung may add it to beta builds later, but support for older devices isn’t on the table yet. The move to 60W is a long-overdue step forward, and it again highlights Samsung’s playbook: the most meaningful gains in batteries and charging reach the newest, priciest models first, leaving owners of previous phones waiting for the next wave.