Samsung says Galaxy Z Fold 6 paint is peeling due to unofficial chargers

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 on cobblestone road
(Image credit: Andrew Myrick / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • Some Galaxy phones are experiencing paint peeling, mainly due to third-party chargers with poor grounding, as per Samsung.
  • Users on Reddit are reporting paint issues on Galaxy Z Fold 6, revealing metal beneath.
  • Using an EMS massager with the device might also cause paint problems, hinting at issues with power flow management.

Samsung says some third-party chargers are causing the paint on some Galaxy phones to peel and blames poor grounding in these chargers as the cause of the damage.

A wave of online reports, mainly on Reddit, claim that some users are noticing premature paint peeling on Galaxy Z Fold 6 devices, revealing the metal beneath—a disappointing flaw for such a pricey device.

In a support page, Samsung says that using a high-speed third-party charger with bad grounding can cause leakage current. This can mess with the anodic coating and lead to minor paint peeling.

Basically, a non-genuine charger messes with the paint’s protective coating, weakening the adhesive and causing peeling. Samsung says this mainly happens with low-quality chargers and shouldn't be an issue with Qi-standard ones.

However, Samsung's mention of the Qi standard, which is for wireless charging, seems odd since the problem is with wired charging.

Samsung’s fix is to suggest users charge their devices in a specific orientation to reduce the risk of damage.

More to the point, Samsung wants to nudge users to stick with genuine Samsung chargers, adding another cost on top of the already hefty price of the phone.

Quite intriguingly, Samsung adds that using an EMS massager with the device can cause similar issues, hinting that the problem might lie in how the device handles certain power flow setups.

Nevertheless, Samsung says reputable third-party chargers that follow industry standards are usually safe. But the South Korean tech giant warns against counterfeit or low-quality chargers, which could damage the device by causing electrical leakage that corrodes its metal parts.

This issue is highly likely to raise doubts about Samsung’s choice to leave out the charger from the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and other devices, often pushing users towards cheaper third-party options.

Jay Bonggolto
News Writer & Reviewer

Jay Bonggolto always keeps a nose for news. He has been writing about consumer tech and apps for as long as he can remember, and he has used a variety of Android phones since falling in love with Jelly Bean. Send him a direct message via Twitter or LinkedIn.

  • parksanim
    The problem with the Fold series has been a serious degredation of public perception as to whether or not Samsung will stand behind its products for warranty issues. Users on Reddit constantly fill the boards with complaints about Samsung turning them away for idential breakdowns in the hinge, refusing to honor warranties if even a minor scratch or ding is found on the device. Now that paint can fleck off due to "a charger", it provides yet another convenient excuse for Samsung to avoid a warranty claim. And the price of Samsung Care + is conveniently about the same as a full hinge replacement, anyway. There are even users complaining that SC+ is not yielding the perceived help they expected to cover these issues.

    I'm currently running a used Galaxy S23 Ultra. I had a Fold 4, but dumped it because of the hinge problems and complete lack of Samsung taking care of complaints. My next phone will likely be from another company, or if I am I stuck with only Samsung (I am in Korea) I will just buy a Chinese import or one of their cheapest phones. Not feeling like I can trust them to take care of me if I have problems with their $1,000 to $2,000 phones, anymore.

    Samsung is driving me directly into the hands of throwaway Chinese phones, and low-level trash, because their warranty service seems to have disappeared for so many others. Why spend so much on their products if their support was the main reason for purchasing, in the past -- but it is no longer there for me?
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