In case humanity makes it to 2040, we’d probably witness the very sad and bitter unveiling of the Galaxy S40 Ultra – surely the last phone on Earth with a 5,000 mAh battery.
Here we are, minding our own business in the post-Pixel 10 and pre-iPhone 17 limbo period, when Galaxy S26 Ultra rumors start to pour in. All kinds of rumors, both positive and negative:
Wake up, people
The Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S25 Ultra are at 5,000 mAh, just like their predecessor from 2020. | Image by PhoneArena
Samsung is selling the same 5,000 mAh capacity battery in its Ultra flagships since 2020 – and in 2026, that’ll total to seven years in a row for the same capacity:
Taken out of context, the 5,000 mAh battery cell is pretty respectable on its own. 5,000 mAh (depending on your chipset, display and other components) can get you through the day with normal use.But the perspective shifts dramatically when we take into account that it’s the Galaxy S Ultra we’re talking about here. The S20 Ultra model managed to squeeze in the 5,000 mAh as early as 2020, at times when rival flagships by Xiaomi, Google and Oppo were lagging behind:
| Galaxy S20 Ultra | Pixel 5 | Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro | Oppo Find X2 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 5,000 mAh | 4,080 mAh | 4,500 mAh | 4,260 mAh |
So, it seems that Samsung has been actively resting on its laurels ever since 2020.
A year or two (or maybe three) of mAh stagnation is cool. No, really, it’s OK.
Especially in the years from 2020 until 2022. Back then, nobody was obsessed with how big our phone battery was. The world had other stuff going on, and we weren’t sure if we were living in Brave New World, 1984 or a really lousy written episode of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.
But by 2023, something had to change and the S23 Ultra should’ve received a boost in the form of a couple of hundred more mAh of capacity. Needless to say, that didn’t happen then, and it won’t happen again, if the rumors hold true.
Why would Samsung do it?
The Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. | Image by PhoneArena
Giants like Samsung can do as they please, but apparently somebody at the headquarters took this literally, and we’re suffering because of it.I can’t find any rational explanation as to why Samsung would put a 5,000 mAh battery cell in its most important flagship for seven consecutive years. Except for this theory of mine: maybe they keep shipping the Galaxy S Ultra with a 5,000 mAh battery because people keep buying it.
But how would people not buy the maxed-out Ultra flagship? This is their champion with the best screen, the best cameras, the best everything among Galaxy models. Anyone who’s looking for the best Galaxy there is (specs-wise), inevitably goes for the Ultra.
Here’s the proof: the Galaxy S25 Ultra has been a hit in Samsung’s backyard, even though it didn’t break records in the Western hemisphere in the first months of 2025. Nevertheless, people around the world buy it.
But why is a 5,000 mAh capacity cell a problem?
Image by PhoneArena
I’m not saying that 5,000 mAh will not be enough for you – coupled with an energy-efficient top-tier Snapdragon chipset, the battery can get you easily through the day.
But instead of slimming the Ultra down, how about a 6,000 mAh cell for the next flagship?
Phones with 6,000 mAh (OnePlus 13) and 7,000 mAh (Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro) batteries are not that rare nowadays.
You know what grinds my gears? The aforementioned Redmi phone costs $200 and at 7.8 mm is thinner than both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which are around 8.2 mm and cost over $1,000 each. Exceptional.
What’s more, companies like Realme are apparently experimenting with 15,000 mAh phones. Sure, a handful of people would choose a phone from an exotic brand like this over the popular Galaxy S Ultra, but the writing is on the wall.
The problem is not that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will shut down at noon because of its 5,000 mAh cell – it won’t. The problem is that Samsung is losing face by refusing to pursue the big mAh numbers. A corporation with unlimited budgets can do as it pleases – except for wasting time.
You don’t break the limits just so that you never do it again. On the contrary, Sammy: you do it over and over again.
One doesn’t simply go to the Moon and then refrain from doing it again for the next 56 years. Oh, wait, that’s exactly what NASA did.
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