One of the most important updates to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 this year is water resistance And that feature should steal other foldable phones as well

While Samsung has not revealed how it made its foldable phone waterproof, YouTube channels iFixIt and JerryRigEverything have disassembled the Galaxy Z Fold 3 into two pieces to show how it keeps water out The two channels are not revealing how they disassemble the $1800 phone If you can stand to watch them take apart a $1,800 phone, it's interesting to see how a foldable phone works and how Samsung achieved an IPX8 rating

Because foldable phones, by design, have large gaps in the frame to allow folding, Samsung's approach was to make sure that everything beyond that point was sealed For example, the cables that attach the display to the motherboard are surrounded by adhesive to prevent water from entering here

Around the cables that pass through the Galaxy Z Flip 3 hinge is a rubber gasket held in place with silicone adhesive; JerryRigEverything's video revealed a similar one behind the Galaxy Z Fold 3's power button/fingerprint sensor These appear to be the main line of defense against water, along with a waterproof screen covering the microphone and speaker openings In addition, there are rubber gaskets around the speaker, SIM card removal port, SIM tray, and charging port

These measures do not prevent water from entering the phone, but they do prevent water damage For example, in the iFixit video, water can be seen entering under the display of a submerged Galaxy Z Flip 3, but these measures should prevent water droplets from interfering with the circuitry

Some suspect that Samsung's hydrophobic coating on the motherboard of its new foldable device is another method of protection However, when JerryRigEverything's Zack splashed water on the Galaxy Z Fold 3's circuitry, the water droplets remained intact

These teardowns also show off the phone's main line of defense against dust: the nylon brushes that line the hinge These brushes are not enough to give the phone dust resistance, but hopefully they should prevent particles from destroying the hinges

We have yet to test the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Z Flip 3 to see how waterproof they are, other than washing them under a tap, but we will keep an eye on future tests We had no reason to doubt Samsung's claims about the water resistance of its new foldable phones, but it is fascinating to see Samsung gradually refine this new form factor We just need other foldable phones to follow suit and offer an attractive alternative to Samsung's latest Android flagship