Now that the Samsung’s new foldables They are official and they are back on everyone’s lips, one of the most widespread opinions has come to light again. Are they really strong enough to withstand the normal use that can be given to a normal phone? What protection do folding offer today?
looking for the impossible
The new Galaxy Fold5 and Galaxy Z Flip5 boast of being waterproof thanks to the IPX8 certified, something that technically allows it to withstand immersions up to 1.5 meters deep in fresh water. This means that, as always, it is not recommended to bathe the device in salt water and even in swimming pool water, but it is already a great advance compared to the first foldable ones that could not get wet.
The problem is that, although it is resistant to water, it is not resistant to dust. And no, this does not mean that you cannot have your phone forgotten on a shelf collecting dust, but that in environments and areas where dirt accumulates, you could have problems. The reason is obvious, since the many mechanical parts and holes that the phone has can be ideal for a speck or a small particle to sneak in and mess with gears and internal parts. And it’s Samsung they know it.
in search of balance
Through a press conference, the president of the mobile division TM Roh, has claimed to be aware of the public demand regarding resistance to dust, but ensures that today there are quite complicated impediments to avoid with the technology that currently exists.
In the words of the manager, “We are very aware of consumer demand for dust protection, and we are making various efforts to achieve it, but due to the nature of folding, there are many moving parts, so dust protection powder is hard.
Water or powder, what do you prefer?
The interesting thing is that dust protection in foldables exists today, since Motorola currently offers it in its IP52 certified RAZR. The problem is that said certification only resists small splashes, so a splash knocks them out instantly.
In this way, the proposals leave two options, either save you from the water, or save you from the dust, so we will have to keep waiting for some manufacturer to achieve an IP67 or IP68 certification to cover both worlds.
