A New Galaxy S26 Rumor Could Make You Want To Skip Samsung's Galaxy S25

According to a new rumor, the next-next generation Samsung flagship will be switching from traditional lithium-ion to silicon-carbon (SiC) battery tech. Sure, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is just around the corner—boasting some exciting and meaningful upgrades, such as the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, refined Apple iPhone 16-like edges and corners, upgraded ultra-wide camera, plus AI this and that—but it's poignant that things on the battery and charging front are sorely unchanged. At between 4,000 to 5,000 mAh (depending on model) and maximum of 45W wired and 25W wireless charging, Samsung flagships lag far behind the competition.

For years, Chinese phone manufacturers in particular have blazed ahead with battery tech; lithium-ion phones such as the OnePlus 11-12 and Motorola Edge 50 Ultra, not to mention those sold by Oppo, Honor, and Vivo charged at speeds up to 125W. Moreover, as more devices convert to SiC, phones like Xiaomi's latest 15 Pro can charge at 320W. This "SuperSonic Charge" feature can fill the device from empty to full in an astounding five minutes.

While this bit of Samsung news is hypothetical, if Samsung is indeed planning on endowing its phones with SiC batteries, the benefits (aside from the aforementioned charging speeds) are numerous:

• Silicon-carbon cells store more energy in a thinner/smaller profile.
• As long as battery management is done right, the new battery tech has a decreased risk of overheating and bulging.
• A big win for SiC is a lower reliance on rare-earth materials compared to lithium-ion, thus reducing its carbon footprint significantly. 

Even as our Asian compadres have jump-started this shift in battery tech, all eyes are on Samsung to make its move. It's almost guaranteed that if/when the Korean electronics giant announces its adoption of SiC, other brands like Apple and Google won't be far behind. Either way, it seems like a win-win for consumers and the environment.