I tested fast chargers with the best iPhone, Samsung, and OnePlus phones – and two surprised me


charging-leader

Man holding three phones.

Adam Doud/ZDNET

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

  • I tested three fast-charging smartphones.
  • I used OEM and third-party chargers.
  • Two phones beat their rated speeds; one fell short.

Charging speed is one of those numbers that marketing people love to toss around. That’s especially true when it comes to OnePlus. It can be a throwaway line, but when new phones launch, you’ll often hear about advertised charging speeds. From 25 watts all the way up to 120 watts, how fast your phone can charge might matter to you. It also matters how fast the plug you buy is, too, because two of our three competitors don’t come with a wall plug.

Also: I cracked open a ‘1,000W’ portable charger after it failed me in minutes – and wished I hadn’t

It’s a little-known fact that, just because a phone can charge at 60W, that won’t be the charging speed for most of its charge time. It’s not even close. But you may be wondering how close it gets. To find out, I charged up a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, an iPhone 17 Pro Max, and a OnePlus 15 and recorded the results. I learned a few things and uncovered a few surprises along the way.

The candidates

The iPhone 17 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra both represent the flagships of the two major phone makers in the US. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you own a phone with the word Samsung or a bitten apple on the back of it. The OnePlus 15 stands tall as what should be possible in the US, but just isn’t. At least it should represent that, but we’ll discuss that in a bit.

Also: I’ve used adaptive chargers with my iPhone and Android for a year – but should you?  

The iPhone 17 Pro Max ships with a 5,088 mAh lithium-ion battery capable of 40W of wired charging. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra ships with a 5,000 mAh lithium-ion battery that charges at 60W. Finally, the OnePlus 15 ships with a 7,300 mAh silicon carbon battery with an advertised charging speed of 120W. I phrased that last one very carefully, as you’ll soon learn.

charging-plugs

Charging plugs from OnePlus, Anker, Apple, and Samsung

Adam Doud / ZDNET

The OnePlus 15 ships with a power plug and cable, while the other two ship only with a cable. Apple sells a 40 W Dynamic Power adapter for $39. Samsung sells a 45W travel adapter with a magnetic wireless charging puck included for $71.25. But if you’re going to buy a charger anyway, why not try a third-party option? I went with Anker in this case since the brand is synonymous with charging. I grabbed an Anker Prime GaN charger and Anker bio cable for $59.99 and $21.83, respectively, on Amazon.

Also: I spent 2 years charging my phone exactly how Apple suggests – here’s where it’s at now  

To test charging speeds, I picked up a Mecheer power meter that displays how much power is flowing through the outlet in real time. For each phone, I ran the test twice — once with the OEM cable and plug and the second time with my Anker setup. Here’s what happened.

The results

Of the data I collected, a couple of things stand out. First, OnePlus’ charger isn’t even close to its advertised 120W speed. In fact, it spent its entire charge time in the 20% to 40% range, maxing out at just 46W on its homegrown charger. The Anker pairing charged the OnePlus and Samsung phones faster than their own chargers, which I find to be simply funny. 

Also: I cracked open cheap charging gadgets from Temu – and it was worse than I expected

In another interesting bit, the S26 Ultra, which is rated at 60W, actually peaked at 61W. Similarly, the iPhone, which is rated at a maximum of 40W, spent its first five minutes exceeding that mark.

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Four graphs showing percentage over time.

Adam Doud / ZDNET

Total charge times ended up like this:

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Charging times for the phones

Adam Doud / ZDNET

Samsung was surprisingly agile, going from dead to fully loaded in under an hour. OnePlus stayed in the middle of the pack with just over an hour, and the iPhone brought up the rear with over 90 minutes for a full top-off. This is why I usually charge my iPhone overnight. But of all those results, I found Samsung to be the most pleasant surprise and the OnePlus 15 the biggest disappointment. 

Also: A common charging habit was quietly killing my iPhone’s battery – here’s the fix

OnePlus’ days of charging dominance seem to be over, and that’s frankly a shame.

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Four graphs showing wattage over time

Adam Doud / ZDNET

Here are some fun facts for you. If you have to buy a charger, go ahead and get a third-party option. A Samsung phone charges at about 3% per minute for the first 60% and only slows down after that. The other two phones go at about 2% per minute for the first 50%.

speed-percent.png

The amount of time each charger spent at each level of charging

Adam Doud / ZDNET

Also: I used the ‘Plus Five’ rule to fix my iPhone’s slow wireless charging – here’s how it works

So, at the end of the day, charging speeds are largely overrated. Aside from OnePlus, which sat below 40% of its advertised charging threshold the entire time, the other two phones spent most of their time hovering between 20% and 60% of capacity. I find this to be not surprising, but incredibly disingenuous, to say the least. It’s almost to the point where I’d rather just not know what the charging capabilities are — I’d rather not know than know something incorrect. But that’s me.





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2026 has shaped up to be a big year for Milwaukee, and the company shows no signs of slowing down as it expands its product line. For example, it has announced that some solid new Milwaukee hand tools and organizers will be arriving throughout the summer, but that’s not all. At the end of the day, you need somewhere to put all of this stuff, and while the Milwaukee Packout storage system is deep and varied as is, the company will expand the line in the summer months.

More methods for organizing your tools are on the way, too, with the Milwaukee Packout line set to introduce some new entries this summer. They vary in size, purpose, and price point, but they’re all compatible with the wider Packout line. That means they can connect to each other, making transportation easier. In some cases, they’ll be able to help keep tools and other items secure and organized while on the move. Additionally, all of these new Packout products are covered by Milwaukee’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

So, what new products does Milwaukee have to offer from its Packout line this summer? Here are the drops you can look forward to throughout June and July 2026.

Milwaukee compact crate

Sometimes, a massive Packout crate isn’t a necessity, which is why the line has its share of smaller options. Yet another will be coming to the Milwaukee catalog in the form of the Milwaukee Packout compact crate, which is set for a June 2026 release and will cost $39.97. It has a 30-pound weight capacity, comes in at 8.75 inches tall, 9.5 inches wide, 15.5 inches long, and 3.75 pounds, and includes two removable dividers to create up to three sections within the crate. The dividers can also be customized by cutting them to size along the pre-made score lines.

This compact crate features a wide front opening for easy access to its contents while on the job, as well as a metal top handle to carry it around on its own. Should you want to add it to your current Packout stack, you can use the connection points at the top and bottom of the crate. Speaking of durability, Milwaukee notes that it has an impact-resistant body along with weep holes to prevent water collection. At the same time, there is some nuance regarding the waterproof nature of Milwaukee Packout products, so keep that in mind before letting this crate get soaked.

Milwaukee Packout low-profile crate

A shorter but equally mighty Milwaukee Packout container is also on its way to customers this summer. The Milwaukee Packout low-profile crate is the shortest of the new releases at just 6.625 inches tall, though it makes up for what it lacks in height with a 15-inch length and an 18.625-inch width. Even though it’s slightly heavier than the compact crate at 4.85 pounds, it wins out in weight capacity with a 50-pound limit. It will be released in June 2026 and will cost $44.97.

For added modularity, the low-profile crate includes three different divider types: eight short, two long, and one for the middle of the container. When combined, they form up to 12 individual sections for tool and accessory organization. In terms of connecting to other Packout containers, it can do so from the top and bottom. Alternatively, built-in side handles are integrated into the design to make it easier to carry the crate on its own. The crate has weep holes for water drainage and an impact-resistant body.

Milwaukee Packout XL crate

Moving on to one of the larger upcoming Milwaukee Packout releases — even if it ultimately lands somewhere in the middle of the smallest and largest Packout containers for sale — there’s the aptly-named Milwaukee Packout XL crate. This release will hit shelves in June 2026 and comes with a $69.97 price tag. The 8.03-pound crate can take on some serious tools with its 75-pound weight capacity. It measures 15 inches tall, 15.75 inches long, and 18.625 inches wide. Despite its size, it can be hung up on a wall like most other Packout containers.

While some may hang this crate in their workshop, many will use it as part of their mobile Packout stack. You can connect it to your existing setup via the top and bottom connection points. It can also be used with Milwaukee toolbox attachments to hold smaller tools and batteries with connection points on the sides. Alternatively, you can move the crate around using its built-in side handles. It’s advertised as having an impact-resistant body along with anti-water collection weep holes. Suffice to say, there’s more to this seemingly simple crate than initially meets the eye.

Milwaukee Packout Wire Pulling XL Crate

For the most part, the Milwaukee Packout line is so popular because of its versatility. While most entries can be used for just about anything, there are those that come with a specialized function. Case in point, the forthcoming Milwaukee Packout Wire Pulling XL crate, which is designed for dispensing wire. This involves inserting and locking in spools of the user’s needed material, threading the wire through the wire retention slots, and using the fold-down panel to keep the end of the wire from rolling back into the box.

Overall, this crate has the same dimensions and weight capacity as the previously covered Packout XL crate, though it is the heavier of the two at 9.85 pounds. It can accommodate up to six spools, can be stacked onto other Packout containers or hung up, and has an impact-resistant body. This is the most expensive of the new Packout releases at a hefty $119.97, and it’s set to release during July 2026. Alongside the best Milwaukee power tools for electrical work, this crate seems like a vital piece for any Milwaukee-enthusiast electrician’s kit.

New Milwaukee Packout inserts are coming, too

That’s it for the new Milwaukee Packout containers set to debut this summer, but there are more new releases yet to cover. To pair with some of these containers and improve their levels of organization and function, come two new insert sets. First is the divider for the Milwaukee Packout XL crate, which splits the container into two sections. It simply slides down the middle of the crate and fits snugly into place, while retaining its ability to connect with smaller Packout attachments. It will be released in July 2026 for $29.97.

Alongside the Packout XL crate divider is the set of Packout wire pulling inserts for the XL crate. You’ll need these if you end up buying an XL crate and later want to use it as a wire-pulling crate. These inserts allow you to convert it instead of having to buy a new designated wire pulling crate. They attach to two of the inner sides of the crate via T-25 screws and include wire puller guards as well. The Milwaukee product listing says these inserts are meant for 1/2-inch EMT conduit. This insert set also comes out in July and will cost $49.97. 





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