By
Mark Jansen
Published Feb 27, 2026, 11:00 AM EST
Mark has almost a decade of experience reporting on mobile technology, working previously with Digital Trends. Taking a less-than-direct route to technology writing, Mark began his Android journey while studying for a BA in Ancient & Medieval History at university. But since then, he's cast his eyes firmly on the future, with a deep love for anything that bleeps or bloops.
Outside of Android tech of all types, Mark loves to hike, play video games, build small plastic men that cost far too much, and spend time with his two daughters.
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One of many leaks that came out about the Samsung Galaxy S26 range before launch said the phones would not have built-in magnets. Unfortunately for fans of magnets, these leaks turned out to be true, as while Samsung has beefed up the phones' wireless charging capabilities, it hasn't included magnets.
And now we know why. According to an interview with Samsung's research & development head honcho, it's because of cases (via Android Headlines).
No magnets for you, because you're only gonna buy a case anyway
A lack of magnets in a smartphone means that the phone cannot natively interact with magnetic accessories. Phones like the Pixel 10, which have magnets, can use them to snap on wireless powerbanks, car chargers, or other accessories. Since the Samsung Galaxy S26 range does not, it can't do this.
Unless you buy a case with a magnet in it. Which is exactly the reason why Samsung doesn't think it's worthwhile.
“About 80 or 90 percent of people are using a case, and cases with magnets are very popular these days,” said Won-Joon Choi, Samsung's R&D chief to The Verge. And with that in mind, it's not worth Samsung's time to try and squish some magnets into the devices' casings.
Instead, he argues, Samsung could spend its time finding other ways to use that extra space, like adding more battery, or making a phone thinner.
However, this isn't a dead end for magnets in Samsung phones. If Samsung can integrate magnets without sacrificing other features, then it will do so in the future. Just not yet.
Speaking personally, I echo the thoughts of The Verge's writer. Magnetic accessories are fantastic, and when it comes to choosing between a phone with them and a phone without, I'm always going to prefer the one with.
Subscribe to our newsletter for phone magnet & design insights
Want clearer context on choices like phones skipping built-in magnets? Subscribe to our newsletter for in-depth coverage of mobile design trade-offs, accessory ecosystems, and the engineering choices that shape your next phone. Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.Sure, I can just buy a phone case that has them instead, but it feels unfair to force people to buy a case to cover your design's shortcomings. Some people — strange, unknowable people — prefer their phones to be case-less, and while they're clearly wrong, they shouldn't have to be forced to buy a case to access a new and helpful feature.
Plus, this statement shows that Samsung is continuing to bark up the wrong tree where phone thickness is concerned. While nobody wants a phone that's an inch thick, most people would prefer to add a little bulk to a phone to get more features and a bigger battery in it. You'd think Samsung would have realized that after the S25 Edge failed, but apparently it still needs time to let that sink in.
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