The smartphone battle is no longer limited to cameras, performance or AI capabilities. Charging speed has become one of the most important factors for users, especially in an era where mobile phones are a basic everyday tool. According to a new extensive research by CNET, the iPhone 17 Pro emerged as the smartphone with the fastest overall charging among 33 devices tested, combining top performance in both wired and wireless charging.
The research included devices from companies such as Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola and OnePlus, and examined both models released in the United States and international versions of smartphones.
The iPhone 17 Pro tops the overall ranking
To come up with the final score, CNET researchers averaged each device's wired and wireless charging results. The iPhone 17 Pro stood out thanks to its consistently high performance in both categories, offering the best overall charging experience.
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The tests focused on a highly realistic usage scenario: each smartphone started with approximately 10% battery and recorded the percentage of charge achieved within 30 minutes. This approach is considered more representative of users' everyday lives than full-charge laboratory tests.
The iPhone 17 Pro managed to reach 74% via wired charging and 55% via wireless charging within the same time frame, performances that gave it the top spot on the overall list.
Samsung dominates wired charging
Although Apple won the overall battle, Samsung maintained its lead in pure wired charging. The Galaxy S26 Ultra was the fastest wired charging device, adding 76% battery in just 30 minutes.
Behind the Galaxy S26 Ultra were the iPhone 17 Pro and the Motorola Moto G Stylus (2025), both with 74%, followed by the OnePlus 15 with 72% and the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 FE with 69%.
These numbers show that competition in charging speeds has become extremely intense, with companies increasingly investing in optimized power management systems and new battery technologies.
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Apple dominates wireless charging
Where Apple seems to have established a clear lead is in wireless charging. Four of the top five spots in the ranking belonged to iPhone models, with the iPhone 17 Pro once again taking the top spot.
The iPhone 17 Pro reached 55% within 30 minutes of wireless charging, followed by the iPhone 17 Pro Max at 53%, the iPhone 17 at 49%, and the iPhone Air at 47%. Only the Galaxy S26 Ultra managed to break into the top five with a 39% rate.
CNET analysts believe that the MagSafe. Proper placement reduces energy loss and significantly increases the efficiency of wireless charging.
MagSafe and the new era of Qi2
Although Apple has allowed other manufacturers to leverage similar technology through the Qi2.2 standard, the company still seems to maintain a technological advantage in implementation. Precision manufacturing and deep hardware and software integration allow iPhones to achieve more stable and faster performance.
This fact shows that Apple continues to invest in areas that were traditionally not considered “premium features,” such as charging, turning them into significant competitive advantages.
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The importance of fast charging for the future of smartphones
As AI capabilities, brighter displays, and demanding apps continue to increase power consumption, charging speed is becoming a critical user experience factor. Manufacturers are now being challenged to not only offer larger batteries , but also to reduce the time it takes to recharge them.
To fully utilize the performance of the iPhone 17 Pro, users need a fast-charging MagSafe charger and a power adapter with a power rating of more than 30W. Market direction indicates that wireless charging will evolve even further in the coming years, aiming to approach or even surpass the performance of wired solutions.
