iFixit Finds Galaxy Z Fold 8 Hinge Fails After Dust Exposure Despite IP48 Rating
Updated
Updated · Hackaday · Aug 20
iFixit Finds Galaxy Z Fold 8 Hinge Fails After Dust Exposure Despite IP48 Rating
3 articles · Updated · Hackaday · Aug 20
Summary
UV-reactive dust jammed a Galaxy Z Fold 8 hinge in iFixit’s teardown test, leaving the foldable phone making loud crunching noises and unable to close properly.
The failure centered on the hinge because the Fold 8’s IP48 rating protects against water but not dust particles smaller than 1 mm, leaving the mechanism vulnerable to intrusion.
UV inspection after disassembly showed little dust reached the phone’s two main halves, while the hinge was heavily coated throughout; accessing that area required removing the flexible OLED display.
The teardown used an extreme dust exposure rather than normal daily wear, but it highlights a broader weakness shared by foldable devices: moving hinge parts remain far more dust-sensitive than conventional phones.