What's Hiding Beneath the iPhone Duo's Matte Screen Layer? A Teardown Reveals All

Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, finally went on sale today. A number of people were seen picking up the new iPhone at various locations in India, and that is all the tech community can talk about today.

Now, the phone is being praised for its hardware and how the crease, which is often a problem with foldables, isn't visible at all. However, somebody has just carried out a full teardown of the phone, and what they found is probably something that the folks at Apple won't want you to see. Read on.

iPhone Duo Teardown Video Reveals Glossy Surface, Noticeable Hinge

The iPhone Duo features a large inner display that Apple claims is 50 percent bigger than the screen on the iPhone 18 Pro Max. But foldable displays come with a familiar problem: the crease running down the middle.

Apple appears to have found a way to make it less noticeable, at least when the phone is being used normally. However, a teardown video published by YouTube channel Kingmi Mobile shows what happens when the iPhone Duo's top-most protective layer is peeled away.

In the video, we can see that once the nano-textured cover layer comes off, the screen underneath has a glossy finish, similar to the inner display on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8. More importantly, the crease becomes much more prominent without the matte surface.

In other words, the layer isn't just there to protect the display. Its surface also helps reduce glare and makes the crease less noticeable. Remove it, and one of the design details Apple has worked to minimise becomes much harder to ignore.

That doesn't mean the folding display itself is damaged or that the crease suddenly appears out of nowhere. Rather, removing the cover layer changes how the underlying display looks, making the crease stand out more clearly.

Apple hardware engineering chief Kate Bergeron recently explained that the cover layer is designed to be replaceable as it wears out over time. Apple has also worked to ensure that it lasts as long as possible.

Note: Apple has advised customers not to peel off the layer. If it becomes scratched or worn, the company offers a replacement priced at Rs. 5,900 in India. So, if you own an iPhone Duo, don't try this at home just to see what the screen looks like underneath. Just watch the teardown video to satiate your curiosity.

What's Inside the iPhone Duo?

The teardown also gives us a closer look at how Apple has arranged the hardware inside its first foldable iPhone.

As you might expect, the device has a battery in each half of its foldable body, following an approach also seen in other foldable phones. Splitting the batteries across the two halves helps accommodate the hardware inside the device's folding design.

However, replacing either battery isn't as easy as swapping one out on a conventional iPhone. The teardown shows that technicians need to remove both the rear panel and the secondary display to access the battery cells.

The video also highlights the thin, folded ribbon cables connecting components such as the selfie camera to the mainboard. These cables are delicate, which means they need to be handled carefully during disassembly. Damage to them could complicate an otherwise routine repair.

There is some good news, though. Several components appear to be replaceable individually, including the two selfie cameras, the dual rear camera system and the mainboard.

The hinge and folding inner display, however, are a different story. Their integration into the foldable design makes them more complicated to replace, potentially increasing the time and cost involved in repairs. This could help explain why replacing the inner display costs around Rs. 1.5 lakh. More on that in the next section.

iPhone Duo Repair Costs in India Are Eye-Watering

The teardown comes shortly after the iPhone Duo's repair costs attracted attention, and the numbers explain why owners might want to be careful with the device.

As mentioned earlier, replacing the inner display in India costs Rs. 1,49,900. That's a huge amount to pay for a screen repair, even on a premium smartphone. The outer display replacement costs Rs. 42,900, while battery service is priced at Rs. 24,900.

Other repairs aren't cheap either. Replacing the rear camera costs Rs. 26,900, while charges for other damage can reach Rs. 2,24,900.

You can read more about the iPhone Duo repair costs here.

So what are your thoughts on the iPhone Duo? Do let us know, and keep watching this space for more such updates.