GoKawiil
Tech News
Samsung sponsored an Instagram video that shows a sliced green apple failing to fold together before cutting to the Galaxy Z Fold 8, which it claims is 1.6mm thinner and 53g lighter than Apple's new foldable. The ad ends with the tagline 'Years ahead in Foldables,' timed to coincide with early reports of cracked screens on Apple's iPhone Duo.
Durability testers JerryRigEverything and iFixit both found weaknesses in Apple's new iPhone Duo foldable, with the inner display scratching easily and developing permanent green lines that eventually made the screen unresponsive after bending. iFixit's teardown pointed to stress near the hinge's central support as a possible factor, while both tests flagged vulnerability to dust and debris. Apple's foldable is reportedly more repairable than rivals, but replacing the inner screen costs around $1,000.
A specs comparison lines up the rumored foldable iPhone Duo, with its 5.4-inch cover screen and 7.6-inch inner display, against three Android foldables: Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8, Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold, and Motorola's Razr Fold. The analysis covers screen size, weight, camera resolution, and water/dust resistance ratings across all four devices.
iFixit has published its teardown of Apple's iPhone Duo, awarding it a provisional repairability score of 5 out of 10—the highest the site has given any foldable phone. The analysis focused heavily on the device's hinge mechanism, which combines gears, springs and interconnected metal joints with a waterdrop-shaped bend to protect the display, and the device carries an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
iFixit's teardown of Apple's folding iPhone Duo revealed a matte nano-texture cover layer and angled oval subpixels designed to mask the screen crease, and awarded the device a 5/10 repairability rating, the highest iFixit has given a foldable. The outer texture layer can be replaced separately from the OLED panel, but full screen repairs remain costly, and the teardown found less dust intrusion than Samsung's Z Fold8 or Google's Pixel 11 Pro Fold, though some dust reached the USB-C port, speakers and hinge.
Reports of Apple's iPhone Duo foldable cracking within hours of use have spread across social media and a dedicated subreddit, with users noting the breaks consistently occur in the same spot. YouTuber CuriousHagi reproduced the failure during durability testing, then disassembled a unit to inspect the hinge mechanism, which combines a central gear hinge with two types of linking hinges.
Multiple iPhone Duo buyers are reporting that the device's inner foldable screen cracks along the hinge's center line, leaving a horizontal band of white, glowing pixels. About ten similar cases have surfaced on Reddit since the device launched Friday, with some units failing during initial setup. Apple Store customers have generally received replacements, while some carrier buyers say they were denied help or blamed for the damage.
Apple's new foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, starts at $2,000 and lets users fold the device into a tent-like stand. A columnist reports that while many mainstream iOS apps still render poorly on the Duo's unfolding screen, some developers have begun building apps specifically optimized for its foldable design.
Developers have begun releasing apps designed around the iPhone Duo's folding hinge and dual screens, with Apple adding a 'Made for iPhone Duo' badge to highlight ones built for the larger display. Examples include Battlefleet Duo, a board-game-style naval battler that uses tabletop mode for local multiplayer, and Flipcorder, a retro camcorder app that turns opening the device into 'removing the lens cap.' A reviewer who has covered Android foldables for years says their inbox has seen an unusual surge of pitches from indie developers eager to showcase apps for Apple's first foldable phone.
Social media and forum posts from owners in the US, Australia and China show the $2,000 foldable iPhone Duo developing a distinctive L-shaped crack running along the fold and extending across the internal display. One Australian buyer said the screen cracked just six hours after purchase after fewer than 20 folds, with no visible external damage. Apple Stores have reportedly granted full replacements in some cases, though phone support offered a slower paid-hold process.
CNET purchased an iPhone Duo and placed it in its custom-built 'Fold-a-Phone' testing rig to measure how many open-close cycles the hinge and dual screens can withstand before failing. The same machine is already being used to test Samsung's Galaxy Fold 8, allowing direct durability comparisons between the two foldables. CNET plans to share live updates via a YouTube stream and ongoing testing results.
Early buyers of Apple's new iPhone Duo foldable are reporting cracked inner displays near the hinge crease shortly after purchase. One Reddit user said their screen cracked audibly after fewer than 20 folds within six hours of ownership, and Apple replaced the device on the spot at an Apple Store. Similar reports have surfaced from early markets including China and Australia.