Samsung has introduced a new-ish form factor for foldable smartphones to its catalogue in the form of the Galaxy Z Fold8. It’s more passport-shaped, while the older, slimmer device now gets the Ultra tag. It was a given that at some point, electronics teardown specialist company iFixit would do what it does best to the new foldable. Of course, a foldable phone is still a foldable phone despite the new measurements, so the result of the teardown is unlikely to be blowing any minds.
The very first thing that iFixit addresses is the IP rating of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8. IP48 means pretty good water resistance, but far from the best for dust resistance. The rating means it can stop solid objects measuring 1mm in diameter or larger from getting in, but smaller objects can still slip through, causing problems for the hinge. Other brands, including internet search giant Google, have managed to make foldables with IP68 ratings, so it bears wondering what’s stopping the South Korean tech giant from achieving the same.
For what it’s worth, iFixit reports that the UV-reactive powder that it was thrown in prior to the teardown proper has mostly been kept away from the main electronics, including the batteries. Speaking of batteries, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 has two separate silicon-carbon lithium-ion batteries, one in each half, as part of the setup. This does mean one sits behind the outer screen, so one wrong move could see two components needing replacing rather than one.
The silver lining for this part of the process, though, is that Samsung has used the common Phillips screws throughout the insides of the Galaxy Z Fold8. That’s one less layer of friction for when something does go wrong and need replacing. The USB-C port is also modular, adding to repairability.
Going to the main display, iFixit reports that the plastic bezel around it chips easily, so by the time the inner screen was removed, the bezels had cracked off into multiple broken pieces. The inner screen also did not survive the removal process, but splitting its many layers apart reveals the titanium-alloy film beneath the OLED, and a perforated titanium plate below it. These make up the Flex Titanium tech that reduces the crease that results from the folding, but it’s still not able to prevent it outright.
Overall, iFixit has given the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 a provisional repair score of 4/10. The provisional bit there is contingent on the company releasing a repair manual the way it did for the Fold7.
