Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Water-Resistant, But Not Waterproof

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has officially arrived, joining the Galaxy Z Flip 6 at the Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris. This new foldable smartphone boasts a range of improvements, including the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, a slimmer and lighter design, and a dazzling main screen that reaches an impressive 2,600 nits of peak brightness. A question that often arises with foldable devices is their water resistance. While the previous Fold 5 was not waterproof, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers some peace of mind with its IP48 rating. This rating indicates that the device is protected from dust ingress and objects larger than 1mm. Furthermore, the Fold 6 can withstand long-term immersion in water up to a specific depth and pressure, as defined by Samsung. This means that the Fold 6 goes beyond simply repelling water droplets and resisting penetration – it’s designed to survive full immersion, theoretically. However, it’s crucial to understand that a device needs to be completely impermeable to water ingress to be considered truly waterproof, which is currently impossible for any smartphone. While IP ratings for water and dust resistance are often used interchangeably with waterproofing, that’s not entirely accurate. Nevertheless, for smartphones, the IP48 rating on the Fold 6 is as good as it gets. Let’s break down what IP48 actually means. IP stands for Ingress Protection, followed by numbers indicating dust and water resistance, respectively. In the case of the Z Fold 6, the dust protection rating of 4 signifies that it’s shielded from limited dust ingress. Samsung has enhanced dust protection by incorporating brushes into the hinges, a feature first introduced with the Flip 2 and Fold 2. The subsequent number, 8, represents the water resistance rating. This signifies that the device can endure long-term immersion at a specified pressure. It’s a substantial improvement over the IPX8 rating of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which lacked any dust ingress protection. It’s important to note that the Fold 6’s durability doesn’t match the S24 Ultra, which boasts an IP68 rating, providing complete protection from dust ingress. Due to the presence of hinges and moving parts, there are inherent limitations in Samsung’s ability to completely prevent dust from entering the device. Essentially, this means you can confidently take your Galaxy Z Fold 6 outdoors in less-than-ideal weather, such as rain or fog. You should also be fine using it around a pool. As for the beach, the dust ingress protection is a welcome addition, but we advise against burying the device in the sand. While it can withstand some dust, the combination of gritty sand and saltwater is not ideal for electronics.