Samsung has spent years trying to solve one of the hardest problems in foldable phones: keeping dust and water out of a device that’s designed to bend in half. That work has paid off gradually. The Galaxy Z Fold line went from no IP rating at all, to IPX8 on the Z Fold 3, up to IP48 on the Z Fold 6. The new Galaxy Z Fold 8 is still rated IP48.
Apple, on its very first attempt, skipped ahead of all that.
The iPhone Duo, unveiled on September 9, ships with an IP68 rating right out of the gate — the same rating Apple and Samsung both use on their regular, non-folding flagships. That puts Apple’s debut foldable ahead of Samsung’s on paper, despite Samsung having years of head start on the form factor.
IP48 vs. IP68: what’s actually different
Both ratings end in the number 8, which means both phones are certified for full submersion in water. But the real-world numbers diverge: Apple says the iPhone Duo can handle depths of up to 6 meters for 30 minutes, while Samsung caps the Galaxy Z Fold 8 at 1.5 meters.
The first digit is where the bigger gap shows up. Samsung’s “4” only guarantees protection against solid particles larger than 1mm. Apple’s “6” means the iPhone Duo is fully dust-tight, with no ingress at all.
Dust resistance matters more on a foldable than it might seem. Fine particles that get past the hinge can build up behind the flexible display over time, and that can eventually cause bumps or permanent damage to the screen.
To Samsung’s credit, this hasn’t shown up as a common issue on recent IP48-rated Galaxy foldables — its hinge sealing has clearly gotten better. Still, Apple reaching a fully dust-tight IP68 rating on its first foldable, in a form factor where the internals are inherently more exposed, is worth taking seriously.
Samsung will likely push its own foldables to IP68 eventually, maybe as soon as next year’s Galaxy Z Fold lineup. Nothing’s confirmed yet, though, so we’ll have to wait and see how Samsung responds.
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