iPhone Duo has a secret cooling system hiding inside its hinge — and that's another way it beats Galaxy Z Fold 8

The iPhone Duo, Apple's latest foldable innovation, boasts an intriguing secret cooling system hidden within its hinge. This feature sets it apart from competitors like the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which lacks a comparable mechanism. PCMag's Dan Murray and Banafsheh Barabadi, Apple's vice president of silicon engineering and senior manager of thermal product design, revealed the details behind this unique design choice.

The A20 Pro chip, tailored specifically for the iPhone Duo, necessitated additional hardware enhancements to optimize its performance. One such addition is a second display engine, facilitating simultaneous operation of both the inner and outer displays. Furthermore, Apple incorporated an under-display camera to enhance the interior screen experience.

However, the most noteworthy feature is the inclusion of a flexible graphite pipe running through the hinge. This pipe serves a crucial purpose: transferring heat between the two halves of the iPhone Duo. By doubling the surface area available for heat dissipation, the pipe effectively addresses the challenge posed by the device's ability to fold in half.

This innovative solution was co-engineered with Apple's thermal team, ensuring the flexible material maintains its conductivity and structural integrity throughout numerous hinge cycles.

The iPhone Duo also features a direct connection between the A20 Pro chip and the vapor chamber, enabling efficient heat dissipation via a "metal over foam" pathway. This connection allows heat to travel from the chip to the vapor chamber, preventing it from accumulating in a single area. By ensuring heat can easily cross the hinge, Apple mitigates potential issues associated with heat concentration and maintains optimal performance for the foldable device.