Apple achieved IP68 on its first foldable while Samsung remains at IP48

One of the biggest challenges Samsung faced in the early days of foldable phones was dust and water ingress. Creating a dustproof, waterproof phone with a hinge that could fold in half seemed impossible, but Samsung kept working on the problem and improved foldable IP (ingress protection) ratings to IP48 in recent years.

Apple did one better. The new iPhone Duo, which Apple unveiled on September 9, has an IP68 rating: the same you'll find on regular, non-foldable premium phones from both companies.

In other words, Samsung has slowly developed better IP-rated foldable phones every few years, beginning with the IPX8-rated Galaxy Z Fold 3 and evolving to the IP48-rated Galaxy Z Fold 6. The new Galaxy Z Fold 8 is also IP48-rated.

However, Apple came right out of the gate with a better IP68-rated foldable iPhone, beating Samsung to the punch.

The number 8 means that both the iPhone Duo and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 are technically water-resistant. They offer water protection when fully submerged. Apple even claims that the iPhone Duo can go to a maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes and survive; Samsung only rates its foldable for a maximum depth of 1.5 meters.

The other numbers, 4 and 6, respectively, represent the level of protection against dust.

In Samsung's case, IP4(8) means the Galaxy Z Fold 8 should offer protection against ingress of solid objects larger than 1mm.

The iPhone Duo, however, has an IP6(8) dust protection rating. In theory, it means the phone is dust-tight and offers much better protection than the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

For a foldable phone, dust ingress protection is a big deal. Over time, small particles can slip through the hinge's cracks, and more dangerously, they can potentially accumulate behind the foldable panel, leading to bumps in the foldable screen and even permanent damage.

This no longer seems to be a big issue with modern IP48-rated Galaxy foldables. Still, Apple pushing its iPhone Duo to an IP68 rating before Samsung is impressive and not to be ignored, especially when we're dealing with a foldable whose core design leaves the internal hardware more vulnerable.

Samsung will most likely follow Apple's example and eventually bring IP68 to its foldables. Maybe even next year. But it's too early to know for sure, so we'll have to wait and see how Samsung responds.