Choi says this came down to user feedback as Samsung’s customers wanted a folding device that was “effortlessly portable” yet could be unfolded for an immersive multimedia experience. “We continue to always monitor the voice from the market, and we are open to any possibilities,” he says. We spend most of our time consuming multimedia with our smartphones, and the Fold8’s new shape is specifically tailored for media, with less obvious letterboxing than previous Folds.
Yet chasing that slim, lightweight profile leaves foldables exposed where traditional flagships excel: durability and ingress protection. Most candy-bar smartphones sport an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, meaning they’ll be fine even after spending some time at the bottom of a pool, but the Galaxy Z Fold8 series is still stuck at IP48 – it can get wet, but dust will cause problems. Dust notoriously forced Samsung to delay the launch of the first Galaxy Fold in 2019, as little specks could get through the hinge and damage the screen.
Google’s folding Pixels are the only models with an IP68 rating. Still, even with the higher rating, dust can pose a problem, according to Elizabeth Chamberlain, iFixit’s director of sustainability. The repair company’s teardowns show that dust can get inside the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, making the hinge sound “crunchy” and causing what could be a serious liability over time.
“We still haven’t seen a solution for that,” Chamberlain tells WIRED. “Repair is still a problem for foldables.” iFixit’s recent teardown of the Galaxy Z Fold8 gave it a 4/10 for repairability. “The hinge is buried under all the other components, and the hinge is the thing most likely to get damaged,” Chamberlain says. She did give Samsung props for its new adhesive system that makes battery removal easier.
Moon reiterated that Samsung’s Folds have the “best-in-class” dustproof and waterproof performance in the industry and that the company isn’t just “chasing the numbers for the sake of it.” He also emphasised that, despite the Fold8’s slim profile, internal components are far easier to detach and service than in earlier iterations.
Photograph: Julian Chokkattu