iFixit teardown reveals matte screen light scattering, oval pixels, and possible cause for Apple iPhone Duo 'Crackgate'
iFixit has published its teardown of the Apple iPhone Duo, which includes fluorescent, magnified, and CT imaging of the folding smartphone. Besides revealing a possible cause for the 'Crackgate' affecting some Duo owners within hours of use, the design of the screen to minimize the screen crease, as well as its repairability, is revealed.
iPhone Duo 'Crackgate'
All electronic devices are subject to shock, vibration, and stress during shipment, including harsh drops from heights. This can cause a significant number (over 5%) of some shipments to arrive with broken units. Additionally, the flexing of OLED screens, whether on a glass or plastic substrate, will always lead to their eventual, inevitable failure due to physics.
Some buyers of the just-released Apple iPhone Duo have reported their screens generating a grating noise and cracking, sometimes after folding their Duos a few times. Although this might be attributed to damage during shipment, the majority of cracks occur originate slightly below the center of the hinge area, often with a horizontal line of broken pixels to the right. Reddit has even consolidated all 'Crackgate' threads into a megathread due to how common such posts have become in its iPhone Duo forum.
iFixit analysis of the hinge design identified a pressure hotspot created contact between the underside of the screen and the hinge below as one possible cause of this unusual pattern. This hotspot is located just below the passage for the internal display cable. Additionally, the iPhone Duo is a dust magnet, allowing significant amounts of fluorescent dust inside the phone and hinge. Dust, sand, or other particles landing under the hotspot area can also contribute to premature screen cracking.
Readers will have to wait for Apple to release an official announcement to know whether this is a widespread manufacturing defect or a limited one.
Screen crease
The iPhone Duo is unusual among folding phones for its use of a matte screen, while all other foldables are glossy. A light-dispersing film is applied over a glossy OLED screen, which also uses oval pixels, a patented method to reduce diffraction artifacts. Both are used in an attempt to minimize the visibility of the central screen crease, which deepens the more times the screen is opened and closed.
Unfortunately, matte screens reduce contrast, making the Duo less visually attractive when viewed from an angle compared to other folding phones, like the reviewed Samsung Z Fold8 (sold here on Amazon).
Repairability
After completing the rest of the extensive Duo teardown, iFixit rated the Apple iPhone Duo with a 5 out of 10 for repairability. Since the Duo is particularly susceptible to breakage when dropped even once, using a case like the official Apple iPhone Duo Case (sold on Amazon) is smart.
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