iFixit teardowns Apple's first foldable smartphone and gives it a repairability score of 5 out of 10, the highest among all foldable smartphones they've tested. However, the iPhone Duo can still be a bit tricky to repair, especially if the internal screen is damaged.
iFixit teardowns Apple's first foldable smartphone and gives it a repairability score of 5 out of 10, the highest among all foldable smartphones they've tested. However, the iPhone Duo can still be a bit tricky to repair, especially if the internal screen is damaged.
This is reported by iFixit.
Apple has made it much easier to replace some parts. For example, both batteries can be detached with a small electrical pulse that loosens the adhesive. The outer screen can also be removed without damage, and the cameras and other components can be accessed without having to disassemble the entire smartphone.
iFixit also figured out how Apple hides the crease in the middle of the inner screen. Its matte finish diffuses light, making the crease less noticeable. Under a microscope, they also saw unusually arranged oval pixel elements, which probably also help hide the crease.
The outer cover itself can be replaced separately from the display for $49. But if the inner screen itself is damaged, repairs without warranty coverage will cost $999.
iFixit paid special attention to complaints from early iPhone Duo owners about cracks and bright stripes on the display. Some users said they heard a crack when assembling the phone, after which the screen stopped working properly.
The company suggests that the problem may be in the hinge's complex mechanism. One of its supporting parts may sometimes not go low enough, causing the screen to be subjected to excessive pressure during folding. However, this is just a guess for now.
Another weak point was the dust protection. During the experiment, small particles got into the charging port, speaker grilles and the folding mechanism, which began to creak. However, less dust got inside the iPhone Duo than during similar tests of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
iFixit's assessment is still preliminary, as experts are still waiting for replacement parts to arrive. In their opinion, Apple has significantly improved the repairability of foldable smartphones, but replacing the internal screen and repairing the hinge are still expensive and difficult.
Previously, dev.ua wrote that on October 23, Apple began selling its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, at a price ranging from $2,000 to $3,199.
