Samsung is king when it comes to smartphone sales, recently reclaiming its top spot from Apple. And over the last decade, the company has built a solid reputation with its impressive Galaxy lineup, offering some of the best phones that are usually pretty reliable. Samsung recently launched its sixth-generation foldables with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. And while these are some of the most polished foldables on the market, that doesn’t mean everything will be perfect, as there’s always the chance that new and unforeseen issues can crop up.
And that seems to be the case with this year’s models, as there are now a few reports popping up on Reddit showing that some are experiencing paint issues even after owning the phones for such a short time. Of course, it’s really hard to say how widespread this issue is, but what’s interesting is that Samsung has an official support page dedicated to this very issue. In short, the blame is being put on third-party chargers, and Samsung’s solution to avoid this problem is quite simple: buy one of the original chargers, since you won’t get one in the box.
A new cause for concern with Samsung Galaxy phones
Source: Samsung UK
As mentioned, this issue has now been reported on Reddit, where some people complained about the paint peeling off their Galaxy Z Fold 6s (via 9to5Google). But from what we see on the platform, it doesn’t seem to be a major issue. Of course, you never want to experience something like this, especially when it comes to such an expensive item. It’s unclear if Samsung covers something like this, but cosmetic issues are often excluded from coverage in warranty claims.
At the time of writing, there is still no support page for this issue in the US, but in other regions, Samsung has reported third-party chargers causing paint to peel off Galaxy devices. Samsung was quick to clarify that it thoroughly tests all of its products before release to ensure a safe experience. However, the company immediately addressed the concerns by stating that using “incompatible third-party products” with Samsung devices “risks inadvertently causing damage such as peeling paint.”
That last part is very specific and not an issue we’ve seen on previous models of this phone. Samsung’s post actually explains in detail how this phenomenon works, stating that some chargers aren’t properly grounded. The brand shares that “leakage” can occur when handling such chargers, which can affect the anodizing process and cause the phone’s paint to peel off. Samsung also shares that this can also happen when using an EMS massager that’s powered by your phone.
Samsung states that if you absolutely must use this device, you should not touch your phone while it is in use, otherwise this issue may occur. As mentioned, Samsung of course has a solution here, and that is to make sure the charger you are using is genuine. Although they do not reveal which third-party chargers can be used, they recommend getting one from Samsung to make sure everything is OK.
While this solution would be great if the phone came with a charger, since that hasn’t been the case for a few years now, consumers are left with only one option: buying a charger from Samsung to be on the safe side. And while we don’t really know what the public reaction to this solution will be, we can imagine it might leave a bit of a bad taste in the mouths of owners after they’ve just spent $1,800 on their Galaxy Z Fold 6.
