Is the Galaxy Z Flip 4 waterproof?

The successor of the clamshell foldabl Z Flip 3 – the eye-catching Z Flip 4 – was released in 2022 and even now that it has its successor, is still quite a capable and tempting phone. The phone is an eye-catching foldable, but it also brings an improved design and specced-up internals over its predecessor. And, if you're here, you're probably thinking of getting it, and yep, this means you're ready to spend more or less a grand on it. But buying an expensive foldable phone means you probably want to be aware of its level of protection against the elements.

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Is the Z Flip 4 waterproof?

What does an IPX8 mean on the Z Flip 4?

IP stands for ingress protection, and there are two numbers assigned with this rating, the first one for dust protection, and the second one, for protection against water or moisture. The Z Flip 4 comes with an IPX8 rating.

The first number in the rating is related to the level of protection the device has against dust. Here, it is represented by an X, meaning the Z Flip 4 has not been tested against dust and there is no guarantee dust won't damage it. Basically, it's not dust resistant. Its predecessor, the Z Flip 3, also had the same IP rating, and a lack of dust protection is understandable given the fact that we are talking about a foldable phone here, with a hinge mechanism that could get damaged by sand, big dust particles or what have you.

The second number in the Z Flip 4’s IP rating is an 8, the highest water-resistance number we've seen on smartphones. 8 for protection against water means the Z Flip 4 can theoretically survive a submersion (in freshwater) of up to 1.5 meters, for up to 30 minutes, without being damaged. However, this doesn't technically mean it is waterproof, and additionally, the chemically-enhanced pool water or the salty beach water are not going to be too good for your new foldable phone.