iPhone 17 Pro topped CNET’s overall charging rankings thanks to its strong wired and wireless charging performance, while Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra led the wired charging category.
iPhone 17 Pro has been ranked as the best overall fast-charging smartphone in a new large-scale charging test conducted by CNET, outperforming several flagship Android devices. Meanwhile, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra secured the top position specifically for wired charging performance.
CNET’s lab tested 33 smartphones using a standardized 30-minute charging procedure. Each device started with a battery level below 10% and was charged using its official cable alongside a wall charger capable of delivering the phone’s maximum supported charging speed. Devices with wireless charging support also underwent a separate 30-minute wireless charging test using Qi, Qi2, or Qi2.2 chargers depending on compatibility. Final rankings were based on the combined performance of wired and wireless charging.
According to the results, the iPhone 17 Pro stood out thanks to its support for 40W wired charging and 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging. Its relatively compact 4,252mAh battery also contributed to the faster charging times, as many competing flagship phones now use batteries with capacities of 5,000mAh or higher.
In the wired charging category, the Galaxy S26 Ultra led the field after recovering 76% battery capacity within 30 minutes using its 60W charging system — the fastest charging setup Samsung has introduced on a flagship device so far. The iPhone 17 Pro followed closely with a 74% gain, matching the performance of the Moto G Stylus (2025). OnePlus 15 reached 72%, while iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and Samsung Galaxy S25 FE each achieved roughly 69%.
Apple’s strongest advantage appeared in wireless charging. The iPhone 17 Pro gained 55% battery life in just 30 minutes, outperforming the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 53%, the iPhone 17 at 49%, and the iPhone Air at 47%. Samsung’s Galaxy S26 Ultra reached 39% under the same conditions.
CNET noted that the iPhone 17 Pro’s edge over the Pro Max largely comes down to battery size rather than processing differences, since both devices share Apple’s A19 Pro chip and similar software optimizations.
Across all brands tested, Apple delivered the most consistent fast-charging performance overall. The average charging result across the iPhone lineup reached 54.6% after 30 minutes, significantly higher than Samsung’s average of 38.5%.
The report also highlighted the growing adoption of silicon-carbon battery technology, which replaces traditional graphite materials with silicon-based anodes to increase capacity and improve charging efficiency. OnePlus 15 emerged as one of the strongest examples, recharging 72% of its massive 7,300mAh silicon-carbon battery in 30 minutes using a proprietary 80W charger.
At the moment, companies such as Apple, Samsung, and Google have not yet adopted silicon-carbon batteries in their mainstream smartphone lineups.