What you need to know
- Some Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 users report paint chipping on the sides of their devices.
- Many users say they didn’t drop their phones, with chips often near the power button.
- A similar paint issue was seen on the Galaxy Z Fold 6, linked to third-party chargers.
It’s just been over a month since Samsung introduced its new foldable smartphones, and some Galaxy Z Fold 7 users are already reporting paint chipping off their devices.
As spotted by Android Authority, many Galaxy Z Fold 7 users have taken to Reddit, reporting that paint is peeling off the sides of the phone. The issue doesn’t seem limited to any specific Galaxy Z Fold 7 color, with users reporting issues on both blue and jet black models.
Many of those affected say they haven’t dropped their device, and several even posted photos showing the damage despite using a protective case. Interestingly, most of the images show paint chipping concentrated around the power button area and the USB-C port.
Z Fold 7 is showing the same paint issues as last year’s Z Fold 6
This isn’t the first time Samsung’s book-style foldable has faced such problems. A similar issue appeared on some Galaxy Z Fold 6 models last year, to which Samsung replied that poorly grounded high-speed third-party chargers can “deteriorate the anodization” (the phone’s protective metal finish).
The company said non-official chargers can sometimes cause current leakage, corroding the surface and leading to “delamination of the paint” and eventual paint peeling off the device.
Using a high-speed third-party charger that isn’t properly grounded can lead to leakage currents that deteriorate the anodization (a protective and aesthetic finish on metal surfaces) of your Galaxy device. This may result in the delamination of the paint. To ensure the longevity and appearance of your device, we strongly recommend using only official Samsung chargers, which are specifically designed to prevent such issues.
However, what’s puzzling is that one Galaxy Z Fold 7 user on Reddit claims to be using Samsung’s official 25W charger, so the issue could be different this time. Some users even suggest Samsung hasn’t “treated the aluminum properly” this time, and the “anodized layer didn’t form properly,” causing the paint to flake.
For now, the issue seems limited to only a small number of devices, but it’s still concerning to see a $2,000 flagship experiencing paint chipping just a month after launch. Samsung hasn’t officially acknowledged the issue yet, but we’ll update you as soon as we hear from the brand.
