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iFixit published its teardown of Apple's iPhone Duo on October 25, giving the foldable a repairability score of 5 out of 10. According to The Verge, that is the best score the site has awarded a foldable so far. The teardown also offers a possible explanation for the broken screens and cracking hinges some owners have reported.
Key facts
- Repairability score: 5/10, the highest iFixit has given a foldable.
- The outer screen and the battery cells are relatively easy to remove, per TechRadar.
- The inner display and hinge are the hardest and most expensive parts to repair.
- Apple rates the phone IP68 for dust and water protection, yet dust still reached the hinge in iFixit's test.
- Earlier teardown videos, reported by MacRumors on October 24, found two battery cells totaling 4,883 mAh.
What iFixit found inside
The inner screen has a matte nano-texture cover. The Verge reports that it helps readability in bright light and also masks the crease by scattering reflections. Under a microscope, iFixit found oval subpixels arranged at varying angles, which the site believes are meant to reduce artifacts and further hide the crease. TechRadar quotes the team calling this a "very good disguise".
The nano-texture outer layer can reportedly be replaced without swapping the OLED beneath it. Repairing the OLED itself is described as an expensive ordeal, as with other foldables.
On batteries, MacRumors reported that the two cells use electrically activated adhesive for removal. The larger cell is 2,962 mAh (11.56 Wh) and the smaller is 1,921 mAh (7.5 Wh). iFixit's team said it would like to see easy battery removal on every foldable, according to TechRadar. TechRadar also notes that the outer trim came off intact, which iFixit said was not the case with the Galaxy Z Fold 8.
Dust and the cracked screen reports
iFixit applied dust that glows under ultraviolet light. Dust got into the USB-C port, speaker grills and hinge, making the hinge feel crunchy, The Verge says. Less of it got in than with the Z Fold8 or Pixel 11 Pro Fold. TechRadar adds that dust also entered the phone in the JerryRigEverything durability test.
On the reports of damaged screens and an audible crack, the two outlets describe slightly different theories. The Verge says iFixit suspects part of the complex hinge sometimes does not descend properly, and that an accordion cable passing over that spot near the battery edge may concentrate pressure. TechRadar says the cause could be stress from the display crease pressing on the hinge's central support bar. Both stress that this is a theory, and TechRadar notes further investigation is needed. Apple did not immediately respond to The Verge's request for comment.
What to watch next
The key question is whether Apple acknowledges the cracking reports or changes the hinge design. Watch for a response to the iFixit theory and for repair pricing on the inner display and hinge. MacRumors notes Apple has published a repair manual for the device, which will show how much of this work is open to independent shops.
For buyers, iFixit's advice is blunt: treat the inner screen carefully and keep dust away from the hinge.
