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The iPhone Duo is finally officially on sale. As Apple’s first foldable phone, it attracted significant attention when it was released in September. Its 7.6-inch inner screen has a 50% larger display area than the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the starting price of 15,999 RMB in China is indeed not cheap.

However, just as the new device hit the market, a teardown video revealed a rather interesting secret. Someone peeled off the nano-texture protective layer on the surface of the iPhone Duo’s inner screen, and as a result, the originally subtle crease became much more noticeable. The screen also became smoother and more reflective, with the crease even appearing more prominent than on some foldable phones from Huawei and Xiaomi. Of course, this is not a controlled comparison under identical conditions.

This is quite intriguing. Apple has always emphasized that this special material can reduce glare and soften the crease. Now that it’s been taken apart, it makes one wonder: is the iPhone Duo so smooth because the screen itself is well-made, or did this material play a bigger role?

iPhone Duo Teardown: Peeling off the matte film makes the crease more obvious?

The iPhone Duo has just gone on sale, and the teardown video is already out. After watching this teardown, what surprised me most wasn’t the internal structure, but the nano-texture protective layer on the inner screen surface. The originally subtle crease became surprisingly clearer after peeling off this layer.

From the teardown footage, after removing the matte protective layer, the inner screen reveals a smooth mirror-like effect, significantly increasing reflections, and the center crease also becomes more visible. To be honest, this change is indeed larger than I expected, even reminding me of the inner screen of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8.

Apple has previously emphasized that the iPhone Duo minimizes the crease through a special screen structure and nano-texture process. It now appears that this layer of material indeed played an important role. However, the fact that the crease has become more noticeable does not mean the screen itself has deformed; after all, removing the protective layer also changes the optical effect of the screen.

Moreover, there is another point worth discussing regarding this matte finish: screen clarity. While reducing reflections is certainly a good thing, could it make the image look less transparent? This is also a question raised by some early testers.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Apple’s approach; after all, making the crease less noticeable is an improvement in itself. However, after watching the teardown, I feel that Apple’s cleverest move this time might not just be making the foldable screen flatter, but making it harder for users to notice the crease’s existence.

iPhone Duo Teardown: Repair Costs Are Not Cheap Either

Apple has previously explained that the nano-texture protective layer on the iPhone Duo not only reduces reflections but also softens the crease. This layer is designed to be replaceable individually, mainly considering that scratches and wear may occur over long-term use. However, Apple does not recommend users peel it off themselves; it is best to leave it to official service.

This teardown also revealed that the iPhone Duo adopts a dual-battery design on both sides, with one battery placed on each side. But replacing them is not that simple, as it requires removing the back panel and the outer screen, making the operation much more complex than a regular iPhone.

The internal ribbon cables are also worth noting. Some ribbon cables connecting the camera to the motherboard are extremely thin and use a folded layout, making them easy to damage during disassembly. Fortunately, components like the front and rear cameras and the motherboard can be disassembled individually, so they don’t all have to be bundled together for repair.

iPhone Duo Repair Costs: Replacing an inner screen actually costs 7,998 yuan?

The repair costs for the iPhone Duo might be even more surprising than the price of the device itself. Apple China’s official website shows that a repair for the inner screen with an intact outer screen costs 7,998 RMB, which is almost half the price of a new device. Repairing the outer screen costs 3,198 RMB, and a battery replacement is 1,898 RMB. If other severe damage is involved, the cost could even reach 11,998 RMB.

However, the nano-texture protective layer on the inner screen surface can be replaced separately for only 398 yuan. This is good news, as it means you don’t necessarily have to spend nearly 8,000 yuan to replace the entire screen when the surface gets scratched.

AppleCare+ can also reduce repair costs. The iPhone Duo two-year protection plan is priced at 2,599 yuan, with a service fee of 628 yuan for accidental damage to the inner screen and 188 yuan for the outer screen after purchase. Even including the protection plan cost, the total expenditure for a single inner screen repair is only 3,227 yuan, which is much cheaper than out-of-warranty repairs.

However, for a phone starting at 15,999 yuan, I think this repair cost is still quite daunting. Especially since the foldable screen itself has a complex structure, it is indeed necessary to consider AppleCare+ before buying. After all, if the inner screen actually gets broken, it’s not a problem that can be solved with just a few hundred yuan.

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