Salsa Gadgets
The iPhone Duo is attracting significant attention in the tech world, and iFixit has now published its teardown of Apple’s first foldable iPhone. The teardown examines the phone’s internal components, explores its repairability, and addresses recent reports of hinge malfunctions affecting some early units.
The iPhone Duo received a repairability score of 5 out of 10, making it stand out among foldable smartphones. For comparison, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 scored 4 out of 10, while its predecessor received 3 out of 10.
According to iFixit, most internal components can be removed without extensive disassembly. The outer display, for example, is relatively easy to remove using a suction cup clamp and a pry tool.
The Duo’s two batteries can also be removed using a process known as anodic delamination. This method involves connecting a low voltage power supply, such as a 9V battery, to the silver tabs on the battery cells, allowing them to be released from the phone.
The teardown also examines the main display’s matte nano texture cover layer under a microscope. This layer uses light refraction to scatter reflections and make the crease in the middle of the OLED panel less noticeable. Thousands of microscopic bumps on the screen protector help break up reflections, working alongside the display’s specially arranged RGB subpixels, which sit at varying angles to help conceal the crease.
However, the complex hinge mechanism remains a concern. Some early iPhone Duo owners have reported that the hinge becomes unusually stiff at certain points, requiring extra force to open the phone. In some cases, this has reportedly been followed by a popping or cracking sound and permanent damage to the inner display.
LOne theory suggests that certain components inside the hinge may not be moving down properly, causing them to become stuck. Another possible factor is the accordion like flexible cable that runs through the hinge. Further investigation will be needed to establish the exact cause of the reported failures.
