Can bad chargers really damage your phone?

Does Samsung’s claim make sense?

This isn’t the first time charging has caused problems in the smartphone world. You may recall that Google engineer Benson Leung found that many USB-C cables from Amazon broke specifications and were potentially dangerous to use for high-power charging. But in this case Galaxy Z Fold 6Samsung notes that this may be due to “improperly grounded third-party chargers.” Placing the blame squarely on the charger is a little more unusual, and probably a little more concerning.

So does Samsung’s argument make sense? It is certainly possible to incorrectly ground a USB-C connection by not connecting all the required ground pins or by not connecting the cable shield to the chassis shield. Improper or partial grounding can cause charging current to flow through another ground path, such as the phone’s case. Only Samsung can know if this will create enough current to strip the paint selection. However, the same problem can also be caused by poor grounding on the handset side.

Of course, an incorrectly grounded charger is also unsafe in the event of a short circuit. An internal malfunction during charging, especially at high power levels, could result in electric shock, damage to the receiving product, and potentially even an electrical fire. If there are defective chargers like this on the market, that’s much more concerning than the paint peeling off of Samsung’s expensive foldables. Fortunately, such production problems are rare; We haven’t seen any cause for concern with the big brand products we regularly test.

The more commonly cited risks with modern smartphones are overcharging, using an incompatible charger, or a charger delivering too much power, but these concerns are mostly unfounded. Theoretically, if the charger is providing more voltage than your phone’s battery or circuitry can handle, this will cause high temperatures. reduce battery lifeand can potentially cause serious problems. However, in reality, smartphones have various security features to ensure this does not happen. However, security features can sometimes fail.

First, fast charging technologies, USB Power Delivery The systems used by Apple, Google and Samsung require a constant and successful digital handshake between the charger and the device to negotiate a supported power level. Failure to agree on a supported protocol and power level will result in default slow charging and eliminate the risk of overvoltage. Secondly, modern devices that use high-power charging constantly monitor their internal battery status, checking that the voltage and temperature remain in the safe operating zone. At the first sign of trouble, these devices switch to a lower power level, giving the handset time to cool down.

Smartphone USB-C ports also feature optional electrostatic discharge and surge protection. This helps protect against potential short circuits and other sources of damage from the plug. Most flagship phones and even mid-range models should offer some protection, but such features are rarely mentioned.

Proprietary fast charging technologies can be more or less robust in terms of handshakes, surge protection and other safety features. Your mileage may vary, especially when choosing third-party chargers that claim to implement a proprietary charging standard that is currently opaque. This doesn’t mean that proprietary fast charging is unsafe; In general, we know much less about how they are implemented than the universal USB standard.

Unfortunately, there’s no absolute guarantee that any charger will be 100% error-free (manufacturing issues can occur after all), but generally sticking to the more leading charging brands will provide a level of reassurance. Official smartphone accessories are always the safest option, as brands fully match and test charging protocols with their products. This will also give you the most solid case for complaints and compensation should you encounter any problems.

The third-party market is always a little riskier, but it’s almost a necessity if you want to charge multiple products at once. We’ve had generally positive experiences with big brands like Anker and UGREEN because they do a good job of supporting their USB Power Delivery products. No one is infallible; Anker recently Power banks recalled due to fire hazardbut the higher profile means such issues will be addressed more quickly.

It’s always a good idea to avoid the lowest-priced, lowest-quality, white-label products, especially if they’re manufactured in countries with known poor quality control. Not only do you face a higher risk with an out-of-specification product, but such companies are also less likely to initiate a recall or alert consumers to potential problems. As they say, you get what you pay for.