Galaxy Z Fold 4 holds up to dust in torture test, but nothing has changed from older models [Video]

Ben Schoon | Aug 30 2022 - 8:05 am PT

Foldable smartphones have come a long way since launch, but even Samsung’s latest and greatest ship with a huge list of warnings for how you should treat the device. In a torture test putting the Galaxy Z Fold 4 through the worst of the worst, it holds up well to dust and dirt, but that’s not really a surprise.

Zach from the JerryRigEverything channel this week published his routine torture test for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4, putting the device through the wringer against scratches, fire, and bend tests. The Fold 4 holds up through these tests just about as well as any other modern flagship, except for OnePlus’ latest, which tend to snap under the pressure.

But what’s different about Zach’s foldable torture tests is that dust is thrown into the equation. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has the same IPX8 rating as its predecessor, meaning it has strong resistance to water, but no protection against dust. In this torture test, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is subjected to a pile of dust, dirt, and pebbles and comes out the other side without any problems. The hinge is just as quiet and smooth as before.

The thing is, the Fold 4 isn’t breaking any new ground here. The Galaxy Z Fold 3, Flip 3, and Fold 2 all survived this same test.

Samsung hasn’t changed anything in terms of dust resistance on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, or really any of its foldables since 2020’s Galaxy Z Flip. There are brushes inside of the hinge to both keep dust out and, hopefully, fish any dust that does make it through back out of the hinge. But it doesn’t always work.

Just yesterday we went over a retrospective on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, where our device managed to get some debris lodged inside of the hinge within a couple of months of usage, and it never came out, with a bump under the display serving as a constant reminder.

And it’s clear our experience wasn’t even the worst one.

There are countless reports of Samsung’s foldables developing issues with cracked screens and more as they age. Dust is a problem that Samsung has partially solved, but it’s long-term durability that really remains the concern.

Samsung also shared a video recently showing how it tests out the durability of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, from elements of the building process, automated testing of the hinge and display, and water resistance tests. Samsung still claims that its foldables can hold up to 200,000 folds before developing issues.