iPhone Duo Teardown Exposes Costly Inner Screen Weakness As Early Buyers Report Display Damage
Apple's first folding phone has been taken apart, and the verdict is mixed. Repair specialist iFixit has given the iPhone Duo a provisional repairability score of 5 out of 10, the best it has awarded a foldable smartphone. It also cautioned that the phone's inner display and hinge remain difficult and expensive to fix, and that some early buyers are already reporting screen damage. Early screen…
Apple's first folding phone, the iPhone Duo, has been taken apart by repair specialist iFixit. The verdict is mixed, with the phone earning a provisional repairability score of 5 out of 10. iFixit highlighted that the inner display and hinge remain difficult and expensive to fix, warning that some early buyers are already reporting screen damage.
Reports from users on Reddit and the MacRumors forums describe cracks and bright lines running along the fold, with some owners hearing a noise before the display failed. Apple is currently offering replacement units, with out-of-warranty damage to the inner screen costing $999, roughly half the price of a new device.
The inner display's smooth appearance hides a crease that has not been eliminated, relying on a matte nano-texture finish. Under a microscope, this layer resembles bubble wrap, making the crease more visible than on Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold8. The display's subpixels are reported to be oval and point in different directions, potentially linked to an Apple patent on reducing diffraction artefacts.
The hinge design uses linked metal joints, gears, and springs, but failed the dust test as some powder reached the hinge, making it crunch. Cleaning these parts requires removing the flexible display and its supports.
Apple's battery replacement process is praised, as the two batteries use Apple's electrically releasable adhesive. The outer display and the inner-screen trim come off intact, and the internal layout is relatively flat, making camera and charging component access easier. However, some parts remain buried under flex cables, and iFixit needed five different screwdriver types to complete the teardown.
The pentalobe screws at the entrance also received criticism. Despite these issues, iFixit believes Apple has done well for a first-generation foldable, though the higher cost and slow replacement process may make a conventional phone a more appealing choice for repair-focused individuals.
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