Charging my phone takes too long!
We hear time and again that smartphones have reached their peak. But there’s still so much room for improvement, especially when it comes to charging speeds. While there are some concept phones that can be fully charged in under five minutes, we peasants have to wait over an hour. Why?
We’ve reached an interesting chapter in the history of smartphones. Some phones are getting thinner, others are offering bigger batteries, and a few even manage both simultaneously. But as my colleague Lorenz noted in his case for a two-year release cycle, we’ve been running low on innovation.
But we haven’t yet reached the end of smartphone development. There’s an area that hasn’t really been improved on in years, despite the enormous potential. Namely, charging technology.
Concept phones are the real record breakers
There seems to be virtually no upper limit to our phones’ charging speeds. You can see as much if you look at Chinese smartphone manufacturer Realme, for example, which presented a new charging technology last summer that offers an incredible 320 watts. It’s fittingly named «320W SuperSonic Charge», charging the battery at 4,400 milliampere hours in just 4:20 minutes (nice!)
Of course, the phone isn’t available for purchase; it’s merely meant to serve as a proof of concept. But it shows what’s theoretically possible. Mind you, I don’t even realistically expect a full charge in the time it takes to tie my shoes. I just want something more than what we have today.
The underdogs lead the way
Other Chinese manufacturers have a more realistic approach when it comes to fast charging. OnePlus and Oppo in particular regularly deliver impressive performances on this front. Take the OnePlus 13, for example, which I already praised in my opinion piece on thinner phones and thicker batteries below.
Not only does the latest OnePlus flagship come with a massive 6,000 mAh battery, it also charges faster than any other high-end phone from this year. OnePlus has been using its own SuperVOOC charging protocol for years, offering 100 watts with the OnePlus 13. Despite its monster battery, the phone charges fully in just 36 minutes.
Source: OnePlus
I can practically hear you screaming, «Just get a OnePlus then, my gosh!» And you’re right, I probably should. But that brings me to my big question…
What are the «Big 3» doing?
We now know that phones can theoretically be charged to full quickly. So what are the three biggest smartphone brands in Switzerland (based on these sales figures) doing? Apple, Samsung and Google, why can’t you get this right?
All current flagship phones from the three major manufacturers take at least one hour to fully charge. No wonder, given the maximum charging speed for most of them is a mere 45 watts.
Samsung performs best out of the bunch, with the S25 Ultra’s 5,000 mAh battery reaching full in almost exactly one hour.
Source: Samsung
Google has built 5,060 mAh into the Pixel 9 Pro XL and only 37 watts of charging power. The result? One hour and twenty minutes for a full charge.
Source: Samsung
But the worst charging offender is without question Apple. The iPhone 16 Pro’s battery has a rather small capacity of 3,582 mAh. Nevertheless, it takes more than an hour and a half to fully charge with the supported ~30 watts. The larger iPhone 16 Pro Max needs no less than two (2!) hours to fully charge.
Source: Apple
In 2025, charging times of over an hour are, frankly, a disgrace. Practically every other manufacturer today offers a full charge in half the time – some even with larger batteries. Like I said, I don’t expect my phone to charge faster than it takes me to water the two plants I own. But I’ve been hoping for slightly faster charging speeds for years now. Samsung, Google and Apple, go go go!
How important is your phone's charging speed to you?
Header image: Dayan Pfammatter
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Dayan Pfammatter
Freelance Editor
pf.dayan@gmail.comI've been fascinated by all things keys, displays and speakers for basically as long as I can remember. As a journalist specialising in technology and society, I strive to create order in the jungle of tech jargon and confusing spec sheets.
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