iFixit has performed one of its famed teardowns, this time taking apart the all-new iPhone Duo to determine how repairable Apple’s first-gen foldable really is.
The iPhone Duo is Apple’s long-awaited entry in the foldable phone market. In typical Apple fashion, the company learned from the industry to see what worked and what didn’t, and then integrated some of the best ideas from market leaders.
One area where they seem to be outpacing more established competitors, however, is in the realm of repairability. According to iFixit, the Duo is the most repairable foldable currently available.
The iPhone Duo earns a provisional 5 out of 10 for repairability, the highest score we’ve given a foldable smartphone so far.
The outer screen survived removal, the batteries released cleanly, and smaller components are fairly accessible. Apple has already published its repair manual. Our score’s provisional because we’re still waiting on replacement parts, though we expect them to arrive through Apple’s self-service program soon.
The inner display and hinge account for the biggest deduction. Replacing them takes a lot of work, and the price could put owners off repairing the phone at all. Many are opting for Apple Care+ coverage for this reason (great if you don’t mind yet another monthly subscription fee). The early reports of screen failures make clear that display replacement is more than a distant possibility.
For a first attempt, Apple has done well. The easy battery removal alone is something we’d like to see on every foldable. But of course we’ll hold Apple accountable for making replacement parts available, and here’s hoping that the next generation of the Duo features a more affordable inner display and a more accessible hinge repair.
Despite the (relatively) high score for a foldable, not everything was good news. Some early reports have surfaced of Duo screens cracking or displaying bright lines, in some cases within hours of purchase or even during initial setup. iFixit did extensive testing, but was unable to conclusively nail down the cause. One of the most likely culprits involves the area around the flex cable and central hinge support.
The breaks cluster near the transition from the gap for the crossing flex cable to the central hinge support. The damage we’re seeing in photos isn’t right where the display cable passes through the hinge, but slightly lower, at a point where several edges meet and change how the thin display is supported as it bends.
Similarly, despite having an IP68 rating, which means the phone should be relatively immune to dust, it seems Apple has not fully solved this problem that has plagued foldables since the very first one. iFixit notes its test isn’t an IP test, since IP ratings don’t appear to cover a foldable’s hinge mechanism. To see where dust ends up, iFixit used a glowing dust that is finer than beach sand, but not dissimilar to the kind of dust and dirt found in an office environment.
In the tests, the dust managed to get into the phone, even resulting in crunching sounds from the hinge. To be fair, the Duo performed better in this test than the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, which also sports an IP68 rating, or the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, which has an IP48 rating.
All in all, Apple’s first foray into the foldable market is shaping up to be a strong showing. Even the issues iFixit uncovered are not unexpected for a first-gen device, and early adopters can rest easy knowing they have the most repairable foldable available.