Apple explains why iPhone Duo has a matte screen
Apple explained why the inner screen of the foldable iPhone Duo was made matte. The nanotextured coating not only reduces glare but is also intended to make the crease less noticeable as the smartphone wears.
The matte surface hides the crease
Apple’s Vice President of Hardware Engineering, Tom Brewer, told TechRadar that reflections on glossy displays even accentuate minor surface imperfections. A matte nano-texture should smooth out this effect, so any potential changes in the fold area over time will be less noticeable.
This is especially important for a foldable display: on such smartphones, the crease can become more noticeable after prolonged use. Apple expects that the combination of the screen’s construction and a matte surface will help mask these changes. However, the company does not claim that the iPhone Duo has no crease at all.
The internal 7.6-inch Super Retina XDR display supports ProMotion, Always-On, and a peak brightness of up to 3000 nits outdoors. The nano-texture top layer is made from a special polymer that, according to Apple, is up to 40% harder than other materials used in the industry. A scratch-resistant coating has been applied over it.
To create a matte surface, Apple uses maskless laser lithography: the microstructure is formed directly on the surface with high precision. As a result, the screen reflects less glare and appears visually smoother.
Apple has redesigned the structure of its foldable display
The cover itself is only part of the design. Layers of high-strength glass are positioned above and below the foldable OLED panel, while specialized elastic adhesives allow individual layers to shift slightly relative to one another during folding. This reduces mechanical stress on the display. A titanium plate further reinforces the structure from below.
The hinge consists of more than 100 components and supports the central part of the display in the open position. Apple also tuned the hinge force so that the smartphone securely locks both fully open and in intermediate positions used by Seated and Standing modes.
Marieb noted that when developing protective materials, Apple uses accelerated testing that simulates several years of use in a significantly shorter time. However, the company has not yet disclosed the allowable number of folding cycles for the iPhone Duo.
Price and sales start
Preorders for the iPhone Duo open on October 16, with sales starting on October 23. In the US, the smartphone starts at $1999. In Germany, the 256 GB version is priced at €2299, 512 GB at €2549, 1 TB at €3049, and 2 TB at €3799. In Spain and France, the same configurations cost €2339, €2589, €3089, and €3839, respectively.
