As we predicted, Samsung’s new Galaxy S26 series will reportedly not have built-in Qi2 magnets, instead relying on a case to add the functionality that is required for several of Samsung’s new accessories.
The addition of Qi2 magnets was thought to be one of the biggest upgrades in the Galaxy S26 series, but leaker Ice Universe now says that it’s not happening. In a post, the fairly reliable leaker says that they have “confirmed from independent sources with 100% accuracy” that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will not have built-in magnets for Qi2. Instead, like the Galaxy S25 series, Samsung’s new phones will require a case to support magnetic accessories and chargers.
Samsung uses the “Qi2 Ready” extension of the wireless charging standard to do this, allowing its phones to support Qi2 accessories without actually having magnets inside. The setup requires that cases are built to align the magnets with the actual wireless charging coil, but it only officially works for cases that have been certified by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) to have that alignment. It generally applies to Samsung’s first-party cases as well as some third-party options, including Spigen and some other brands.
While it’s clear that Qi2 magnets were in Samsung’s plans for the Galaxy S26 series at some point, leaks had increasingly been hinting that it wouldn’t happen. Earlier this week, we covered a first-party case leak which showed that Samsung is making non-magnetic cases for the Galaxy S26 series, which all but ruled out the idea of built-in magnets. This latest post from Ice Universe just confirms it. The post technically only addresses the Ultra, but it stands to reason that if Samsung’s most high-end model won’t get a feature, the lesser options won’t either.
Needless to say, it’s unfortunate, especially when you consider that Samsung’s accessory ecosystem seems ready to embrace Qi2. Leaks have shown that the company is building a magnetic wireless power bank as well as a MagSafe puck-style Qi2 charger for the Galaxy S26 series, products that users will be required to buy a case for in order to use.
Oh well, guess there’s always next year, right?
More on Qi2:
- Aukey’s tiny new charging station bundles Qi2 with four 200W retractable USB-C cables
- There’s finally another new Android phone with Qi2 coming, but will there be more in 2026?
- Belkin’s new Qi2 Modular Charging Dock looks perfect for your Pixel Watch
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