It has been well known for quite some time that Samsung has been working on the next version of its foldables, the Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3, to cater to consumers of the Fold and Flip series of foldable devices from the Korean giant.
It seems that the upcoming foldable could be the best of the rest when it comes to protection, since, as per Max Weinbach, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3 will supposedly be the company's first foldables to come with a dedicated water resistance rating, which will be quite monumental for foldables going forward.
This information was revealed whilst Max was answering a tweet, wherein he suggested that both handsets would support an IPX8 rating, which would bring the devices closer to Samsung's flagships, with this tweet being in line with a rumour along the same lines that spread back in April.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3 to Feature IPX8 Rating!
For those of you wondering, the rating means that the 8 number of the IPX8 rating would be capable of withstanding continuous immersion underwater. This usually refers to a depth of 1.5 meters and a maximum time period of 30 minutes, but, there are no clear numbers for the depth and duration.
Do note that the foldables will still lack complete protection, as the X in the rating suggests that they have not been tested against dust particles, a con that plagued the original Samsung Galaxy Fold.
It is interesting to note that to date, no mass-produced foldable has come with a proper protection rating, which is odd, since most traditional flagships come with either IP67 ratings or more, but the design of foldables might have something to do with the same.
Usually, the design of the foldables are more prone to dust and water challenge and to prevent it, it is very tough to seal the moving parts when compared to solid chunks present on regular handsets.
Always remember however that an IP rating will not provide 100% relief, since Pete Lau of OnePlus had mentioned that an IP rating test takes place in test conditions that vary massively when compared to the real scenarios. This is actually true, and the accidental cases that might occur with you are vastly different from the test.
This news comes at a time when it was revealed that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, along with other devices would be launched on August 11 as part of a Samsung Unpacked event.