The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 may be the company’s most polished foldable yet—but its IP48 rating leaves one critical vulnerability: fine dust can still enter the hinge.
We exposed the Fold 8 to UV-reactive powder, worked the hinge repeatedly, and then tore the phone down to track exactly where the particles traveled. While the sealed sections protected the cameras, batteries and circuit boards surprisingly well, the folding mechanism was another story.
Inside, we examine Samsung’s redesigned hinge, new titanium-supported folding display and first silicon-carbon batteries. We also test how practical common repairs would be, from replacing the USB-C port and batteries to removing the outer and inner displays.
The result: some thoughtful improvements, several risky repair procedures and a provisional repairability score of 4 out of 10.
Chapters
00:00 Samsung’s best foldable has a problem
00:45 The Fold 8’s IP48 dust vulnerability
01:29 UV powder, dirt and sand compared
02:45 The hinge starts grinding
03:02 Galaxy Z Fold 8 teardown begins
03:20 Removing the outer display
04:33 Where did the dust go?
04:52 Disconnecting the internal components
05:30 Removing the dual batteries
05:58 Samsung’s first silicon-carbon batteries
06:44 Cameras, USB-C port and main board
07:29 Removing the folding display
08:05 The dust-caked hinge revealed
08:25 How the Fold 8 hinge works
08:59 Inside Samsung’s Flex Titanium display
09:41 Can the Galaxy Z Fold 8 be repaired?
10:31 Repairability score and verdict
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So who makes a folding phone that can pass this "test"?
its a first. and with all FIRSTS there's gonna be issues. its just terrible that the cost is so high. I like the idea but I just can't afford to be a guinea pig this time. I need a new phone but I'll just get the ProMax. id like to think I'll be around when all the kinks are fixed in foldables but sadly… I probably won't!
Just don't get sand and other particles into the hinge, it's pretty simple. Get a case with a hinge cover.
Samsung Flip8, Fold8, Fold8 Ultra, as well as previous models, until they receive at least an IP68 certificate, in addition to all the other hardware-software flaws they have, are absolutely unusable, and their price is completely unrealistic.😢
Z there is no ED.
Honestly, is there a better phone than this with today’s technology? But here’s the real question: Do you guys actually have enough money to buy one? I don’t, so I can’t get one.
The hinge doesn't have a problem. I work in retail and since the Fold/Flip 6. Regular occurrence of grindy hinge is not common. This test is the absolutely worse case. Yes, it would be nice to have higher ingress grading. But really, if you buy something so expensive, most of us keep it safe in a bag or use clean pants. Or in general we keep ourselves clean. The same can be said about most other foldable, except maybe the Pixel Fold with IP68, maybe.
Aren’t all Samsung foldable flippables ip48? So nothing new?
…that sound though… 😬😫
Yeah that phone would not survive my pocket lint for long 🤣
all foldables have this issue if you dont look after them- we all know this so take the risk or dont. but the engineering in that hinge is spectacular
The Fold 8 is by 6th Fold and I NEVER EVER hava had ANY issues with it. NEVER.
Music wasn't necessary
I'm one of the lucky New Yorkers with a Fold 7 that had Care+ canceled on them in June of this year. I had no options except pay for my own coverage ( On a now used item, making coverage dramatically more expensive ), or go without. So I went without Samsung all together, switched back to an iPhone ( Never heard of Apple canceling AppleCare, right? )/apple watch/ipad, and now I'm just waiting until I'm calm enough to sell the Fold7/watch/tab/bud3pro/etc without just burning it all in the backyard. I don't want to look at the god damned thing even two months later.
It should get a 0, given that you can’t even get parts to repair it.
I switched to Samsung phones back in the day when they became the leader in water and dust protection , no way can I get a phone dust can kill
Can you compare that to the oppo find n6? I read somewhere that it's dust resistant
Can you do the same test on the iPhone Ultra next month?
I've had several generations of folds…. I've never had a problem with dust, water and the crease. Youtubers be doing too much
So I'm curious, I've had a Fold 4 since it launched 4 years ago. It has an IPX8 rating, which means it wasn't rated for dust particles. I've had it in a Spigen case with hinge protection since day one, and I work in a cabinet shop, my pockets are constantly full of sawdust and wood debris. I've had zero problems with my Fold 4, no sounds or grinding coming from the hinge. How is it possible that my Fold 4 that has no dust rating has no issues in 4 years, but a Fold 8 with a dust rating of 4 can't handle dust in 4 minutes?
I don't see click bait in the thumbnail. Sand versus Hinge. Sand defeats Ssmsung hinge 8 years running.😂
I hope ifixit gets a Pixel 11 Pro Fold to tear down. It didn't happen for the Pixel 10 Fold. I'm waiting to see how Google is improving repairability on the folds.
Not mention the battery sizes.
Nice clickbait title
Spraying WD40 (without opening the phone) will get things worse or better?
Alot of people will be getting dust in the hinge especially if you're an active person just bound to happen🤷
Pretty bad for $2000
Wish you would review Ulefone’s RugOne 7 pro. Is a premium phone with removable battery, very much like LG’s V20 that was a flagship phone also with removable battery. RugOne 7 pro are also sent with extra battery and phone dock as well as sporting headphone jack, sd tray, and for sim.
Always have rocked my folds with nothing and have never had an issue with the hinge
why you don't use razor blade and the needle bottle with don't know what liquid to destroy the adhesive to remove the screen after the heat pad?
The 8 is not worth it. I bought the ultra. I hope the hinge is designed better. I also bought they are hinge protecting case.
Don’t take it to beach 🏖️
Never had this issue with any of the flips or folds in my house. My kids have had various z flips . Guess they dont throw their phones in the sand at a beach. I feel like most phones would have issues with that.
Treating the phone like shake n' bake chicken is not realistic everyday use. If you follow the suggestions and respect the device it will be fine.
Why didnt u do the test with the phone closed? Whos storing the phone open?
Will vacuuming the hinge help get rid of the crunchy sound?
"It feels less like a tech demo and more like a normal expensive thing"
I swear reviewers say this every year. What about the Fold 7 made it a tech demo?
I actually bought my Fold 8 to put it inside microparticles on a daily basis. Good to know this! Cant wait to put it under daily hydraulic pressing and calling it a phone that is too weak to use on a daily basis as well 😀
You're telling me the most likely part to need replacement is hidden behind the most(?) expensive part that can't really be removed non-destructively?
…SAMSUUUUNG!
Who the heck outside of Canada says fing ZED? IT'S ZEEEEEEEE! AMERICA F,YEAH!
5 million pre orders, at $1800… Thats 9 Billion.
Awsome video
"a serious problem" is not the hinge, but the clickbait– this is a silly video with a very misleading title
7:50 of course it didnt survive. your pryer is too thick. cmon come up with new tools, fly to shenzhen and put ifix brand on some new tools lol
Shake n bake!
Scamsung fanboys will use this phone in vacuum and I'm pretty sure someone will release app that makes phone vibrate and "trust me bro" removes all that trash and dust from inside