Galaxy Z Fold 8 earns disappointing rating in iFixit teardown

Last week, YouTuber JerryRigEverything subjected the Galaxy Z Fold 8 to a durability test and a subsequent teardown. Now, iFixit has released its own teardown video of the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Both testers generally reach the same findings, with the only major difference being is that iFixit carries out a much more thorough dust-ingress and hinge durability test and focuses more on the repairability of the device. Indeed, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 carries an IP48 rating, meaning it resists water well but is not certified against fine particles such as dust or sand: a weakness that Samsung itself warns customers to guard against.

To test this vulnerability, iFixit exposed the device to UV-reactive powder, which, thanks to its glow, is used in order to track how it moves through the phone. After repeated opening and closing, the hinge began producing audible crunching and grinding sounds. A subsequent teardown showed that while the phone's main circuitry, cameras and batteries remained impressively clean, the hinge assembly itself was thoroughly packed with debris, explaining the uncomfortable sounds. In short, Galaxy Z Fold 8 owners would do well to keep the device away from environments where dust or fine particles are abundant.

Repair difficulty proved a recurring theme throughout disassembly. The outer display, the component most exposed to everyday drops, required extensive heating and prying to remove. Samsung also had no replacement panels available for individual repairers at the time of filming. Reaching the battery or camera module similarly requires removing the motherboard and reapplying thermal paste, and one battery can only be accessed by first lifting the fragile outer screen. The plastic bezel around the main folding display fared even worse, cracking and chipping apart rather than releasing cleanly.

Samsung's track record of supplying spare parts for the previous Fold 7 a year after launch offers little reassurance for future part availability. Given the modest repair-friendly touches, such the modular USB-C port and easily removable battery pouches, iFixit awards the Galaxy Z Fold8 a rather dismal repairability score of 4 out of 10.