TL;DR: Apple just introduced its first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, with an IP68 ingress rating. While that compares to the protection offered by models from Google and HONOR, it easily outclasses Samsung’s IP48 rating. As a result, Samsung is lagging behind other foldables when it comes to protection against dirt and dust.
Foldable phones have been around for years, but the device class is experiencing its arguably highest-profile launch yet, as Apple finally embraces foldables with the iPhone Duo. And even with its inaugural effort, Apple is already hitting the ground running with hardware that outclasses some of its fiercest Android competition.
Over successive generations, manufacturers have been making foldable phones more and more robust. What were once incredibly finicky, fragile designs have reached something approaching the reliability we’re used to from regular, non-foldable models. One area where foldables have consistently lagged behind, however, is resistance to dirt and water — and the iPhone Duo’s IP68 rating marks a meaningful step forward for the category as a whole.
