A YouTuber has demonstrated the durability of the iPhone Duo’s display, which seems to explain why there are so few reports of broken units soon after launch.
There are some inevitables that happen after the launch of a new Apple product. We’ve seen the first opinions of reviewers, as well as a close examination of the mechanics, but now we’ve moved on to the destruction phase of the iPhone Duo’s release.
Posted early Saturday morning, JerryRigEverything’s video looks at the iPhone Duo and then destroys it in various ways in a matter of minutes. However, unlike others who sensationalize destruction by click, the channel instead takes a fairly structured and measured approach.
In a scratch test using the Mohs hardness scale, the front display protected by Ceramic Shield manages to reach level seven. It is just below level 8 or 9 sapphire.
The same cannot be said about the flexible internal display, which scratches at level two, forming deeper grooves with a fingernail. This is similar to pretty much every other foldable device on the market, so Apple isn’t alone here.
That said, its multi-layered approach with a matte nano-texture finish helps hide any scratches while on. Keys, coins, and chainmail leave marks, but virtually disappear when the screen is turned on.
The rest of the video develops into a series of tests that reveal obvious things. Using a knife on the titanium edge will scratch it, while using a lighter will burn and mark the internal display.
Shedding a huge amount of dirt and dust, then opening and closing it, will eventually result in a clogged zipper that will not allow it to stay closed. The lesson here is not to bury your iPhone Duo in the sand on a trip to the beach.
Remember that quartz sand has a hardness equal to 7 on the Mohs scale, generally harder than glass.
At the end a bend test is carried out, trying to “close” the iPhone Duo in reverse with the large screen on the external side. After a lot of thumb pressure and some disconcerting pops, the iPhone Duo survives, albeit after a lot of flexing.
The screen developed a line fault on one side after the first attempt, with further development following the second attempt. The hinge allows enough flex to damage the display, but ultimately doesn’t allow the screen to completely snap the iPhone in half.
Surprisingly few problems
The video shows that, with enough effort and carelessness about financial matters, it is possible to damage an iPhone Duo, something no one needed to learn. However, the effort required to seriously damage the internal display without breaking the bent center section nor the hinge proves that it is not as fragile as one might think.
That middle section is still the most vulnerable part, and consumers are discovering this firsthand, too.
Posts on the iPhone Duo subreddit show users complaining of broken screens occurring shortly after picking up their devices. In most cases, there is a defined center crease and screen issues from the center to the edge.
While it’s alarming in isolation, it’s also something that’s happening at a much slower rate than people might think. Social media posts about broken iPhones are always alarming, but that doesn’t prove how widespread the problem is.
There is always some form of infantile failure in Apple product releases, simply due to the sheer number of sales. But even then it seems to be quite low for the iPhone Duo.
AppleInsider We called sources we’ve worked with for over 15 years who work inside Apple Genius bars at seven stores, including four major flagships. None of the stores surveyed saw devices being repaired or returned due to broken screens.
While the concerns are understandable, and if they bleed, especially on social media, the reality is that the iPhone Duo is more formidable than you think.
Except if you want to record a YouTube video by destroying one.
