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June 6, 2025
One of the biggest issues with foldable phones is that they lag behind conventional devices when it comes to IP ratings. Weâve seen foldables with water resistance and ones with dust resistance, but weâve never seen one with both features. Thankfully, this will soon change due to vivo.
Vivo executive Han Boxiao revealed on Weibo that the upcoming X Fold 5 foldable will have an IP5X rating for dust resistance, as well as an IPX8 rating for water resistance. If thatâs not enough, the foldable will also have an IPX9 rating for high-pressure, hot water jets.
In other words, this will be the first foldable phone thatâs both waterproof and dust-resistant. Samsungâs Galaxy Z6 devices offer IP48 ratings, which means theyâre water-resistant but not dust-resistant. In fact, the rating means they can only withstand objects 1mm in size or larger (dust is significantly smaller than that). Most other foldables, like the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, typically offer IPX8 ratings at best, meaning they have no dust resistance whatsoever.
Boxiao claims that the X Fold 5 is the industryâs first dust-proof foldable phone. However, Motorolaâs Razr Plus 2023 indeed offered an IP52 rating for a dust-resistant design. Furthermore, the vivo executive stated that the X Fold 5 can be repeatedly opened and closed 1,000 times in up to one meter of water. Iâm not sure why youâd want that capability, but itâs certainly an interesting claim to make.
Nevertheless, this is a major development for foldable phones and narrows the gap between them and conventional phones. Many conventional smartphones are fully dustproof thanks to IP6X ratings, while the IP5X rating seen here means some dust can still enter the phone but wonât affect it. Either way, these ratings mean you should have more peace of mind when it comes to your foldableâs durability.