Galaxy S26 Ultra Isn’t Just Sticking To The Same 5,000mAh Battery As The Galaxy S25 Ultra, But It’s Downgrading It In A Way That Will Compromise Its Longevity

Feb 24, 2026 at 08:56am EST
Galaxy S26 Ultra EU labels reveal a downgraded battery

Leaked marketing materials revealed that the Galaxy S26 Ultra isn’t going to increase the battery capacity compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra and will stick to the same 5,000mAh limit that it has had for the past six years. Even though a tipster claims that the runtimes will be better with Samsung’s upcoming flagship, EU labels reveal charge cycles have been substantially reduced, meaning that your Galaxy S26 Ultra cannot hold the same runtime after a couple of years.

Information present on EU labels states that Galaxy S26 Ultra’s charge cycles have been reduced by 800 compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra

For those who don’t know, the new EU labels display valuable information such as battery endurance per cycle, repairability class, efficiency, and other details. Ytechb got a hold of these labels, and they signal bad news for anyone wanting to upgrade to the Galaxy S26 Ultra or even the remaining flagships because the charge cycles have been reduced by 800, or a 40 percent reduction. Fortunately, there are a few advantages, according to Android Authority, as all Galaxy S26 models feature the following ratings.

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The EU labels also mention that the Galaxy S26 models are IP68 dust and water-resistant, keeping the innards safe for up to 3 meters of fresh water for 30 minutes. As for the reduction in battery charge cycles, we’ll be reaching out to Samsung to find out why the company made this decision, but it is clearly a downgrade compared to the successor.

Speaking of downgrades, Samsung isn’t bringing Bluetooth connectivity to the Galaxy S26 Ultra’s S Pen, and a physical camera size comparison reveals that the flagship is lagging behind its competitors. As for the improvements, the only notable ones include a privacy display, improved thermals, and, of course, the slightly overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy SoC.

About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.

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