Not a 120W phone, yet iPhone 17 Pro just won the charging race
The iPhone 17 Pro has emerged as the fastest overall charging smartphone in recent lab testing, despite the fact Apple never followed the higher wattage charging speed game.
Published By: Divya | Published: May 17, 2026, 12:03 PM (IST)
When people talk about flagship smartphones, the conversation usually circles around cameras, AI features, displays, or battery life. Charging speed often becomes secondary, especially in the case of iPhones, which are not usually known for extremely aggressive fast charging numbers.
But a new lab test by CNET has now placed the Apple iPhone 17 Pro at the top of an interesting category: overall charging performance. According to recent testing conducted across 33 smartphones, the iPhone 17 Pro delivered the fastest combined charging performance when wired and wireless charging results were averaged together.
Best charging smartphone test: How was the testing done?
The tests focused on something practical, how much charge a phone gains in 30 minutes when the battery starts below 10%. For wired charging, phones were paired with chargers capable of supporting their maximum charging speeds. Wireless charging tests were also conducted separately using compatible Qi and Qi2 chargers.
Instead of only focusing on raw wattage numbers, the final rankings considered both wired and wireless charging together to create an overall score. And surprisingly, Apple came out ahead.
No HIGH wattage, still iPhone 17 Pro performed well: How?
The iPhone 17 Pro reportedly reached around 74% charge in 30 minutes through wired charging and around 55% through wireless charging. One reason behind this performance is its relatively smaller 4,252mAh battery compared to many Android flagships now crossing the 5,000mAh or even 7,000mAh mark. A smaller battery naturally takes less time to refill.
The phone also supports:
- 40W wired charging
- 25W Qi2.2 wireless charging
Interestingly, Apple dominated the wireless charging rankings quite comfortably. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 17, and iPhone Air also ranked among the fastest wireless charging phones tested. A big reason could be MagSafe alignment precision, which helps maintain efficient coil positioning during charging.
Samsung is no way behind
While Apple won overall, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra reportedly grabbed the top position for pure wired charging speed. The phone added around 76% battery in 30 minutes using its 60W wired charging system, making it Samsung's fastest-charging flagship so far.
Phones like the OnePlus 15 also performed strongly, especially considering they use large silicon-carbon batteries capable of handling higher charging speeds.
And honestly, this comparison also highlights something interesting happening in smartphones right now. Android brands are increasingly focusing on massive batteries and ultra-fast charging systems. Meanwhile, Apple continues relying more on software optimisation, thermal management, and charging consistency instead of pushing extreme wattage numbers. And honestly, for most users, consistency probably matters more than simply seeing "120W" on a marketing poster.
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