Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro has been ranked the fastest charging smartphone overall in a new CNET lab test that evaluated 33 devices, even as Samsung secured the top spot for raw wired charging speed with its Galaxy S26 Ultra.
The results come from a controlled test measuring both wired and wireless charging performance across multiple flagship devices.
How the Test Was Done
The lab started each device at 10% battery or lower and ran a 30 minute wired charging test using the phone’s included cable and a wall charger rated at or above each device’s maximum supported speed.
A matching 30 minute wireless test was also conducted for devices that support wireless charging, using Qi (7.5W), Qi2 (15W), or Qi2.2 (25W) chargers depending on each phone’s maximum capability.
CNET then combined both results into a single overall charging score.
iPhone 17 Pro Wins Overall Thanks to Efficiency
The iPhone 17 Pro’s top ranking in overall charging performance is partly linked to its smaller 4,252mAh battery compared to many competitors that use 5,000mAh or larger cells.
The device supports 40W wired charging and 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging. CNET notes that smaller battery capacity plays a major role in faster charge completion times, even though battery life depends on multiple factors such as chipset efficiency and software optimization.
In the same battery life evaluation, the iPhone 17 Pro Max ranked highest for endurance.
Wired Charging: Galaxy S26 Ultra Takes the Lead
The Galaxy S26 Ultra achieved the fastest wired charging result, reaching 76 percent in 30 minutes using its 60W wired charging system, the highest Samsung flagship charging output to date.
The iPhone 17 Pro followed closely at 74 percent, tying with the Motorola Moto G Stylus (2025). The OnePlus 15 reached 72 percent, while the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and Samsung Galaxy S25 FE each reached 69 percent.
Wireless Charging Results Favor Apple
Apple also led in wireless charging performance. The iPhone 17 Pro reached 55 percent in 30 minutes, followed by the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 53 percent, the iPhone 17 at 49 percent, the iPhone Air at 47 percent, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra at 39 percent.
CNET attributes the iPhone 17 Pro’s advantage over the Pro Max to its smaller battery, since both devices share the same A19 Pro chip and software.
Brand-Level Consistency
Across all tested devices, Apple showed the most consistent fast charging performance. The iPhone lineup averaged 54.6 percent across four iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air.
Samsung’s nine-device average was 38.5 percent, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra as its best performer and the Galaxy Z Fold7 as its weakest at 29 percent.
Silicon Carbon Batteries Show Up in Top Performers
Several high-performing devices used silicon carbon battery technology, which replaces the traditional graphite anode with silicon to allow higher capacity and faster charging.
The OnePlus 15, for example, reached 72 percent in 30 minutes using its 7,300mAh silicon carbon battery with an 80W proprietary charger.
Devices using silicon carbon batteries in the U.S. remain limited to OnePlus, RedMagic, and Poco, while Apple, Samsung, and Google have not adopted the technology.