Summary

  • Samsung’s foldables offer a great user experience but disappoint with slow 25W charging speeds.
  • Next-gen Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 might stick to 25W charging, leaving room for improvement.
  • Samsung needs to boost charging speeds for foldables to keep up with competitors and address user frustration.



Samsung makes some of the best Android foldables that are worth your money. While they might not always pack the cutting-edge hardware you will find in offerings from Chinese companies, they stand out with their user experience. One significant drawback of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip and Fold lineup is its slow charging speeds. For years, the top-up speed of the company’s foldables has remained unchanged at 25W. It appears this won’t change this year as well, with Samsung’s next-gen foldables limited to the same 25W speed.


The Galaxy Z Fold 5 resting on a red blanket

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: News, leaks, rumored price, and release window

Samsung’s 2024 foldable could pack some big upgrades

Ahead of their launch later this year, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 have passed through China’s 3C certification. The listing, spotted by MySmartPrice, has revealed the model numbers of the two foldables — SM-F9560 and SM-F7410 — and confirmed support for 25W wired fast charging.

The 3C listing only indicates that the phones were tested with a 25W charger. This leaves the door open for Samsung to add 45W wired fast charging support to its 2024 foldables, though the chances are slim. Wireless charging speed is also likely to remain unchanged at 15W.

If the Z Fold 6 ships with the same 4,400mAh cell as its predecessor, topping up the battery from 0 to 100% over a wired connection should take around 80–85 minutes. That’s nearly twice as long as it takes the OnePlus Open to fill its 4,805mAh battery at 67W speeds (around 45 minutes).


Samsung’s foldable lineup needs a charging speed boost


Samsung has boosted the charging speed on its flagship Galaxy phones to 45W. This enables the Galaxy S24 Ultra to fill its 5,000mAh cell to 100% in 65 minutes. While not the fastest around, the speed bump is still handy, especially given the phone’s beefy battery. So, it is puzzling to see the Korean giant not bring the same charging speed boost to its foldables.

Samsung’s Fold and Flip lineup is not known for its long battery life, which makes the relatively slow battery top-up speeds even more frustrating. With competition in the folding segment heating up and Samsung losing ground to its Chinese competitors, it is high time the company addressed the longstanding drawbacks of its foldable phones.