Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra skips much anticipated feature as first unboxing video surfaces ahead of launch

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra does not officially launch until Wednesday, February 25, but the phone has already appeared in a hands-on unboxing video. Taking it to X, YouTuber Sahil Karoul said he managed to get hold of a retail unit of the upcoming flagship and later shared a full unboxing on YouTube. At the same time, the YouTuber has been discussing the phone and posting a series of comparison pictures on X.

Responding to whether the new Galaxy S26 Ultra attaches to MagSafe accessories without a magnetic case, the YouTuber answered, "Nope doesn't support," essentially confirming that Samsung has once again skipped built-in magnets on its flagship. Just like the Galaxy S25 Ultra with half-baked Qi2 support, users will need a magnetic case to use MagSafe and Qi2.2 wireless chargers, or any magnetic accessories for that matter.

In comparison, the new Google Pixel 10 series supports proper Qi2 wireless charging with built-in magnets. Google even launched its own line of Qi2 chargers under the PixelSnap branding, and while only the Pixel 10 Pro XL supports the full 25W Qi2 speeds, all Pixel 10 models attach magnetically to Qi2 and MagSafe accessories without needing a case.

On Apple's side, all iPhone models from the iPhone 12 through iPhone 17, except the iPhone 16e, include built-in magnets, with the latest iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 supporting 25W Qi2 charging. That leaves the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra a step behind rival flagships.

That said, the Galaxy S26 Ultra is still expected to support faster 60W wired charging, a solid jump from 45W on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The new Privacy Display feature is another major upgrade and will likely take center stage at the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event.