Samsung has been making foldable phones since 2019. Apple just made its first one. And somehow, Apple’s version already has better ingress protection. That stings.
According to SamMobile, the new iPhone Duo, which Apple released on September 9, 2026, carries an IP68 rating. That’s the same rating you’d find on a standard premium smartphone, and it’s something Samsung has never achieved with any of its Galaxy Z Fold devices. The Galaxy Z Fold 8, Samsung’s latest and greatest foldable, is still rated at IP48.
So what does that actually mean? The “8” at the end of both ratings is good news for both phones. It means they can handle being fully submerged in water. But Apple goes further, claiming the iPhone Duo can survive up to 6 meters underwater for 30 minutes. Samsung only rates the Z Fold 8 for 1.5 meters. That’s a significant gap.
The bigger difference is in that first number. The “6” in Apple’s IP68 means the iPhone Duo is fully dust-tight. The “4” in Samsung’s IP48 means the Z Fold 8 only blocks solid particles larger than 1mm. For a phone with a hinge that physically folds in half, that matters more than most people realize. Dust and fine particles can work their way into the hinge over time, and if they get behind the flexible display, you’re looking at bumps, pressure marks, and potentially permanent screen damage.
Samsung has made real progress here. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 launched with just an IPX8 rating, meaning no dust protection at all. Getting to IP48 was a genuine achievement. But Apple skipped that whole slow climb and arrived at IP68 on day one of its first foldable. That’s a clear win, and it’s hard to spin it any other way.
This matters beyond bragging rights. Foldables are still a tough sell for a lot of consumers, and durability concerns are a big reason why. An IP68 rating on a foldable removes one of the most common objections. Apple just made its first foldable easier to recommend to cautious buyers, and Samsung needs to respond.
Will Samsung bring IP68 to its next foldable? Almost certainly, yes. But “almost certainly next year” is not the same as confirmed, and in the meantime, Apple holds a real advantage in a category Samsung invented.