The new iPhone Duo is out, and early buyers are noticing a funny physics problem. When you open the folding phone completely and place it on an upright magnetic charger, it tends to spin and tip over. Because the charging ring sits on just one half of the device, the uneven weight distribution causes gravity to pull the heavier side downward.
Missing alignment magnets cause the heavy unfolded screen to spin
Tech reviewers recently highlighted this tilting issue online. Since the charging coil lives in only one side of the phone, leaving the device fully open makes it unbalanced. When you snap it onto a basic upright charger, the unsupported half pulls the phone sideways until it rests at a crooked angle.
Not all magnetic stands suffer from this slip. The team at Apple designed the magnetic charging system with an extra anti-rotation magnet placed right below the main circular ring. The problem is that many third-party accessory makers skip this lower alignment strip so people can freely rotate standard phones.
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If your current stand lacks that vertical alignment magnet, you have a few easy fixes. You can just charge the phone while it is closed or place it horizontally on the stand. Using a case can also help, as the extra friction against the charging pad often stops the device from sliding around.
Accessory makers will surely notice this hardware quirk. You can expect to see a fresh wave of wider stands and charging docks built to hold folding devices securely very soon. For now, laying the phone flat on a charging puck remains the easiest way to power up.
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