Picking the right phone charger for your new purchase is already frankly a pain, but reports of rogue chargers peeling paint off the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 just added a whole new level of stress to sidestepping the bad for the best charging products. But can a charger really damage your phone? Let’s dive through the facts and fiction to find out.
- Incorrectly grounded chargers are dangerous but are thankfully rare.
- High power levels aren’t a problem when done right.
- Stick to the big brand names or official charging accessories.
Does Samsung’s claim make sense?
This isn’t the first time charging has caused problems in the world of smartphones. You might remember when Google engineer Benson Leung found that several USB-C cables from Amazon broke spec and were potentially dangerous to use for high-power charging. However, in the case of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung states that “improperly grounded third-party chargers” could be the cause. Pointing the blame directly at the charger is a bit more unusual and, arguably, a bit more worrying.