Like the Pixel 6 before it, the Galaxy S22 seems to lay claim to some misleading battery charging specs. The Samsung Galaxy S22 has yet to be released globally, but a few early reviews are leaking out and GSMArena has tested Samsung’s new “45W”charger. The site was unimpressed with the results, calling the spec “misleading”for not being faster than the old 25W charger.
Last year’s Galaxy S21 Ultra ran on a maximum charge of 25W. Samsung has updated the S22+ and S22 Ultra to 45W charging this year and is selling a new charger (sold separately, of course). Charging, apparently, should be significantly faster, but it is not.
Last year, reports showed that the 25W S21 Ultra charges a 5,000mAh battery in about 62 minutes. The Galaxy S22 Ultra got a 45W charger this year, and GSMArena overclocked the phone in 59 minutes to charge the 5,000mAh battery. If we trust the marketing numbers, that’s an 80 percent increase in power for a 5 percent faster charge – probably still within the margin of error for such a measurement.
The report concluded that “Samsung’s claim of a 45W charging speed is outright misleading, as even when paired with an original Samsung charger, it offers no real tangible benefits in terms of charging time over a 25W solution.”
Samsung is far behind in the fast charging race. Chinese OEMs like OnePlus and Xiaomi are constantly pushing the boundaries of fast charging, one of the few smartphone upgrades that really changes everyday usage. OnePlus phones can charge about twice as fast as Samsung phones, in about 30 minutes, with 65W and 80W charging solutions. Even if you don’t charge your phone for a full half hour, the battery increases by about 1 percent every 18 seconds and it really changes user behavior. Plugging your phone in all night seems less necessary when it charges so quickly.
We have requested a comment from Samsung and will update this article if we receive a response.