Samsung's next-generation foldable devices continue to come together through several pre-announcement leaks. The latest rumors claim that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 will retain the 25W charging that Samsung has installed in several of its phones since 2019.
The leak stems from a Chinese 3C certification (via GSMArena) that puts charging at 9 volts and 2,77 amps, which when rounded up indicates that the phones support up to 25W of power. Also included is the USB Power Delivery spec which exceeds 15W, potentially meaning phones will adapt to charge more slowly when phones don't need maximum charging speeds.
Samsung still includes a charger in the box in China, so these specs only potentially confirm the power of the charger, not necessarily the maximum speed the phones support. We've seen some Samsung phones in the past achieve 45W charging with the brick Samsung will happily sell you.
The 25W fast charge isn't terribly slow, but it pales in comparison to what we're seeing from some Android competitors. So while Xiaomi offers 120W charging, Samsung is stuck just above iPhone territory at 25W.
As we approach the typical launch window for new planned foldables, we've seen plenty of other leaks about design changes, battery expectations, and improved cameras. Leaks have also emerged pointing to a built-in S-Pen, but there is conflicting information on whether or not it will be included.
Analysis: stop playing with us, Samsung
Samsung's charging strategy has been, shall we say, hit or miss. In 2019, the Note 10 Plus launched the company's first 45W charging phone, but a 25W charger was included in the box instead. It was still a step above the 15W charging that Samsung used to offer at the time, and at the moment it was pretty fast. The 45W charging brick, however, costs €50, which is a steep price to pay for what turned out to be a mixed bag.
You see, we covered GSMArena's initial test of the 45W brick in the new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, reiterating how strange it was that at nearly double the power, the phone charges a bit faster. We then tested the brick ourselves and found that it did, in fact, work as advertised.
As the flagship foldable devices in Samsung's lineup, we'd expect their charging capabilities to match the S22 Ultra's, and we'd find it strange if they didn't.
Is Samsung trying to preserve long-term battery health in expensive foldable devices, or was fast charging just not high on the priority list? Will we see 45W charging actually supported once the phone is announced? That remains to be seen, but we don't know how long Samsung's foldable devices can last in 2019 when it comes to fast charging.