Here’s why the iPhone Duo’s hinge could be cracking the screen
Within hours of the iPhone Duo launch last Friday, people reported that the inner screen on some brand new foldable phones was already broken. The issue was similar across many photos shared on social media: some kind of issue or crack would appear in the middle of the screen above the hinge, with lines appearing […]
The iPhone Duo, a new foldable phone, has been experiencing a problem with its inner screen cracking near the hinge. Shortly after its launch, reports surfaced that some brand new Duo phones had broken screens, particularly around the middle where the hinge is located. This issue appeared consistent across multiple photos shared online, with lines forming on the right side of the display.
Apple acknowledged the issue on Monday and stated that they would be replacing any damaged units, but they did not provide further details regarding the number of affected phones. The root cause of the problem, according to Shahram Mokhtari, the lead teardown technician at iFixit, is linked to the hinge mechanism. The hinge houses a series of gears, springs, and joints that allow the device to close flat while also accommodating the inner screen to bend gently.
At the problematic area, the flexible inner screen appears to be pushing against a part of the hinge. This sensitivity, combined with the potential misalignment caused by the hinge's movement, could lead to stress and ultimately crack the screen. Mokhtari observed a black spot in the damaged Duos where the damage focused on the display, consistent with where the metal of the hinge is hitting the screen.
In iFixit's teardowns, visual representations of the hinge's internal structure reveal several edges that could be contributing to the issue. Additionally, one user reported hearing an audible crack while opening their Duo, and another YouTuber, CuriousHagi, witnessed a similar screen breakage during a durability test. Both found that a part of the hinge connected to the central bar had snapped.
While Apple claims the issue is affecting a "small number" of Duo units, Mokhtari acknowledges that without Apple's data, it is difficult to determine the exact extent of the problem. However, given the delicate nature of foldable screens and the complexity of the hinge, a certain number of failures are expected. Mokhtari suggests that if the same kind of failure continues to occur, it could pave the way for a recall.
He also notes that Apple is likely to redesign the problematic hinge for future foldable devices, given that this is the first generation of the iPhone Duo. Despite the issue, most users seem to be successfully using their devices without any major problems.
Written by urgent.news from The Verge's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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