iFixit has completed its standard post-launch teardown of the iPhone Duo, revealing the internal mechanics behind Apple’s latest foldable device. The repairability experts awarded the phone a 5 out of 10 score. While this rating might appear modest, it represents the highest repairability score the site has ever assigned to a foldable smartphone.
Screen Technology and Crease Masking
The teardown highlights specific engineering choices Apple made to address the visible crease common in foldable displays. The device features a matte nano-texture cover layer on the internal screen. According to iFixit, this texture does more than improve readability in bright sunlight. It also scatters reflections to help hide the fold line.
Under microscopic examination, the repairability team identified oval-shaped subpixels arranged at various angles. iFixit believes this specific arrangement is designed to reduce visual artifacts and further mask the crease running down the center of the display. The nano-texture outer layer is relatively straightforward to replace without needing to swap the underlying OLED panel.
However, repairing the display itself remains difficult. As with other foldable devices, the OLED panel is expensive and complex to replace. The teardown also noted that dust managed to enter the USB-C port, speaker grills, and the hinge mechanism. This contamination made the hinge feel slightly crunchy during operation. Notably, less dust entered the device compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 or the Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
Hinge Complexity and Reported Failures
The iPhone Duo teardown provides insight into recent reports of damaged screens and cracking hinges. iFixit describes the hinge mechanism as incredibly complex. The repairability team suspects that a specific part of the hinge sometimes fails to descend properly during the folding process.
Complicating matters is an accordion cable that passes directly over the area where the hinge issue occurs. This cable is positioned near the edge of the battery. iFixit theorizes that this configuration concentrates pressure on a specific point. This pressure concentration could explain the audible cracking sounds reported by some users and the resulting screen damage.
Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding these potential design flaws. The teardown confirms that while the iPhone Duo is the most repairable foldable to date, significant challenges remain for users and independent repair shops.
Source: The Verge
