iFixit teardown of Apple's iPhone Duo explains crease masking and possible causes of damage

Repair site iFixit has taken apart Apple's latest foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, and rated its repairability 5 out of 10. That is the highest score the site has given to any foldable phone to date. The teardown shows how the device appears to hide the crease in its folding screen and suggests explanations for reported screen and hinge damage.

Hiding the crease

The matte nano-texture cover on the inner display does more than improve readability in bright sunlight; it scatters reflections and so makes the crease less visible. Under a microscope, iFixit also found oval subpixels arranged at various angles. The site believes they are meant to reduce visual artifacts and further mask the crease running down the middle.

The nano-texture outer layer can be replaced fairly easily without removing the OLED panel beneath it. Repairing the display itself, however, is difficult and expensive, as with other foldables.

Dust and the hinge

Dust got into the USB-C port, the speaker grilles and the hinge, leaving the hinge slightly gritty. Even so, noticeably less of the glow-in-the-dark test dust reached the interior than in the Samsung Z Fold8 or the Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

On the reports of damaged screens and cracking hinges, iFixit has put forward some theories. The iPhone Duo's hinge is highly complex, and the team suspects that part of it sometimes fails to descend properly. An accordion-style cable runs over that same spot, close to the edge of the battery. This may concentrate pressure, possibly causing the "audible crack" some users describe, as well as the broken screens.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.