Now that the Galaxy S21 FE is out the way, the Galaxy S22 range will likely be the next big Samsung phones, and we're expecting them very soon. Leading the series, the S22 Ultra is expected to pack some top specs, but it might disappoint in one key area.
This area is charging speeds. Popular leaker Roland Quandt posted on Twitter to share that the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra will apparently get 45W charging. That's a speed we saw in the Galaxy S20 Ultra, but most other mobiles from the company, including the Galaxy S21 Ultra, just use 25W.
Quandt even showed an image of the packaging for a 45W wall charger - remember, Samsung doesn't include powering blocks in all its flagship phones anymore, to reduce e-waste and help the environment.
According to a new price leak, the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to start at €1,300 for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage - that converts to about $1,470, £1,090 or AU$2,050, so it's an expensive phone.
So if the phone is so expensive, why is the charging speed so slow?
Analysis: 45W isn't fast enough for an 'ultra' phone
Most top-end phones get fast charging speeds. We already know the OnePlus 10 Pro will get 80W powering and the Xiaomi 12 Pro will get 120W, and both phones are expected to be top rivals to Samsung's new series of phones.
Judging by precedent, other top-spec rivals from companies like Oppo, Realme and Honor will also use charging speeds of at least 65W, but likely up to or even beyond 100W.
The difference isn't just in minutes - while a 25W phone can take about an hour and a half or two hours to power to full, when we tested 120W in the Xiaomi 11T Pro, it took just 20 minutes to fully charge.
So fast charging is a useful feature, especially for people who make the most of it (many of us forget to charge our phones until the last minute). And it's curious that Samsung still doesn't offer quick powering, especially on a phone that's meant to be an 'Ultra' device.
In Samsung's defense, fast charging leads to increased battery depreciation, which means the battery life can get worse over time - that's especially the case if you overcharge a mobile by leaving it plugged in when it's at 100%, and that's very easy to do when a device powers up so quickly.
But there are solutions to these issues - Sony phones have a great smart charging feature for example, which lets you set a time for your phone to be fully powered and the device will slowly charge until then. This would be a great alternative to quick charging if you've got time on your side.
That is to say, though there are issues with fast charging phones, there are also solutions to work around them. Samsung's decision to stick to 45W charging isn't so easy to excuse.
