A couple of days ago, a Dutch publication shared pictures of the first-party transparent cases for the Galaxy S26. Some of them had a magnetic ring, while the others didn’t, leading to speculation about the absence of native Qi2 wireless charging (along with the built-in magnets).
All the smartphones in Samsung’s upcoming series are believed to be light on hardware upgrades, and among the few silver linings for buyers was magnetic wireless charging.
Tipster pours cold water on built-in magnets
Now, renowned tipster Ice Universe (@UniverseIce) has basically confirmed the absence of “built-in magnetics inside the device.”
The tipster seems to have confirmed from his independent sources, with no less than “100% accuracy,” that the Galaxy S26 Ultra doesn’t include a magnetic charging profile that Qi2-compliant devices have.
This implies that users who want to use Qi2 accessories, such as wireless charging pucks, powerbanks, or wallets, will still rely on magnetic protective cases, as the company did with the Galaxy S25 series.
Why is this disappointing, though? iPhones have had MagSafe charging for quite a while, with built-in magnets in their rear profile holding the wireless accessory in place for effective, efficient charging.
Apple and Google surge ahead with magnetic ecosystems
Most recently, Google also adopted the technology by integrating magnets into the chassis of its Pixel 10 series. The company calls it Pixelsnap charging, but the technology serves the same purpose: aligning the wireless charging coils with magnets.
You see? Both the mainstream smartphone manufacturers in the United States, Apple and Google, already provide the feature on their handsets. And it’s not like Samsung doesn’t have the resources or lacks the hardware to include the technology on its smartphones.
Even though the tipster doesn’t mention the Galaxy S26 or Galaxy S26 Plus, we’ve already seen a non-Ultra Galaxy S26 in a non-magnetic case, which eliminates any possibility of native Qi2 charging on the lineup.
With or without Qi2 wireless charging, the Galaxy S26 series is expected to debut at the Galaxy Unpacked event on February 25, 2026, alongside the Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro.
