The well-known repair organization iFixit recently carried out a thorough teardown of Apple’s inaugural foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo. This teardown shed light on Apple’s design priorities, particularly focusing on achieving a slim profile and ensuring repairability. It was discovered that the inner screen of the iPhone Duo is coated with a matte nano-textured layer, which can actually be peeled off by hand. This design choice is intended to minimize the visual prominence of creases on the screen. However, it was noted that once this layer is removed, the creases become more noticeable. Researchers have highlighted that while this structural feature enhances the visual appeal, it might also elevate the risk of damage to the inner screen.

Furthermore, the iPhone Duo incorporates a dual-battery system and boasts an ultra-precision hinge mechanism. Nevertheless, its intricate internal wiring necessitates the disassembly of numerous components during repair procedures. Consequently, this complexity leads to high repair costs, especially for the inner screen and hinge. The recent spate of reports from users regarding inner screen cracks could potentially be attributed to this design and the associated repair challenges.