The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is an exciting evolution of Samsung's folding smartphone — but is the expensive gadget waterproof? This is something that previous folding phones from Samsung have struggled with. Whether it be the original Galaxy Fold, the Z Fold 2, or the Z Flip, none of those devices had a proper waterproof rating. They would most likely be OK if they were lightly splashed with a drop of water here and there, but they certainly weren't devices to take by the pool or in a rainstorm.
Announced on August 11, 2021, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 improves on Samsung's folding formula in more ways than one. The cover display now features a 120Hz refresh rate, the camera on the inner display is hidden underneath it, and the Snapdragon 888 processor offers welcome improvements to performance and battery life. There's no doubt that the Z Fold 3 has the best specs of any Samsung foldable to date, but does it offer any meaningful improvement when it comes to water resistance?
Simply put, yes! The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the first Fold release with an official water resistance rating. Anyone that buys the phone should still treat it with care and avoid water if possible, but there's no reason to stress if it happens to get wet throughout daily use. As Samsung explains, the water resistance makes it so "users no longer have to worry when caught in the rain."
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 Is IPX8 Water-Resistant
Digging a bit deeper into the Z Fold 3's water resistance, the phone is backed by an IPX8 rating. That means it can survive splashes and droplets of water, in addition to full submersion in up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. So, if someone accidentally bumps their Z Fold 3 into the tub or sink, it has the necessary protections to prevent it from being instantly killed.
That's a substantial improvement over the original Galaxy Fold and Z Fold 2, but that's not to say the Z Fold 3 is impenetrable. Samsung directly advises against using the phone "for beach or pool use," likely to keep it safe from chlorine, salt water, sand, etc. The Z Fold 3 is only rated for protection against fresh water and doesn't have any resistance against dust. That means it's a more fragile device than a Galaxy S21 or other 'normal' smartphones, so there's still work to be done for future generations. However, going from zero water resistance to an IPX8 rating in one year is a massive step in the right direction.
Source: Samsung