iFixit tears down iPhone Duo and finds a weak point in its hinge
iFixit specialists took apart the foldable iPhone Duo, examined the hinge design using computed tomography and identified three possible causes of damage to the inner display. They also tested the mechanism’s dust protection and assessed the phone’s repairability.
Hinge
One possible cause of failures is the design of the folding mechanism. When the phone is closed, the hinge’s central support plate is supposed to move down into the body, making room for the display to bend. However, engineers at iFixit say the component may not retract far enough in some cases.
In that position, the screen presses against a protruding part of the structure as the phone folds. This creates a localized area of increased mechanical stress next to the area where users find damage to the display panel. The specialists demonstrated this scenario with a computer model but have yet to confirm that it is what causes the failures.
Guides
Another possible cause of damage is the curved guides that control the movement of the hinge components. They allow the mechanism to fold in a way that reduces stretching and compression of the flexible display.
iFixit suggests that, under certain conditions, one of the guides may protrude above the support plates and put extra pressure on the screen. Its position matches the area where owners find characteristic lines and cracks. However, this theory also needs further investigation.
Dust
Additional tests using fluorescent powder revealed another potential vulnerability. Despite its stated IP68 rating, fine particles can enter the hinge’s moving parts.
During testing, the specialists folded and unfolded the phone several times in an environment containing fine powder. The hinge then began to make a distinct crunching sound. A teardown showed that most particles had been caught by the protective seals, though a small amount had still entered the mechanism.
The iPhone Duo nevertheless proved more resistant to dust ingress than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold in comparable iFixit tests. The experts warn that contamination of moving parts can disrupt the hinge’s operation and potentially increase the risk of display damage. No direct link has yet been established between dust ingress and the failures reported so far.
Repairability
iFixit specialists gave the iPhone Duo a preliminary repairability score of 5 out of 10. This is the highest score the organization has awarded to a foldable phone. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold each scored 4.
Apple earned this result thanks to the relatively simple removal of the outer display, the availability of several internal components, published repair instructions and special battery adhesive that releases when an electric current is applied.
However, replacing the inner screen and repairing the hinge remain difficult procedures. iFixit estimates that repairing the iPhone Duo’s display should take less time than the same procedure on the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which takes around 3-5 hours. Replacing the iPhone Duo’s inner display outside the warranty costs $999.
The repairability score is still preliminary, as the specialists are waiting for original spare parts to become widely available.
