Tech enthusiasts wasted no time cracking open the newest mobile device from Apple to see what makes it tick. The highly anticipated iPhone Duo brings some massive hardware shifts to make the new folding form factor possible. Early teardown videos now confirm that the company packed the device with a unique dual battery setup, a split logic board, and some surprisingly tricky repair challenges.
Exploring the internal layout uncovers a dual battery setup
As seen in videos from repair channels, the foldable phone features a battery in each half of the shell. The larger cell is rated at 2,962 mAh while the smaller one comes in at 1,921 mAh. Together, these give the phone a combined capacity of 4,883 mAh. Replacing these steel-cased batteries involves applying a low electrical charge to easily loosen the special adhesive.
The main logic board is now much smaller and no longer uses a stacked sandwich design. Instead, the A20 Pro chip sits right next to the 12GB of RAM. The chip also makes direct contact with a vapor chamber to help keep things cool when the phone is running heavy tasks. Repair technicians noticed that the phone will actually stay powered on even if one of the batteries is disconnected.
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Getting to the foldable inner display is where things get difficult. You have to remove both the rear panel and the secondary display just to reach the battery cells. The foldable screen is secured with a massive amount of adhesive and thin ribbon cables connect components like the under-display selfie cameras. The screen itself features a matte nano-textured film that covers a glossy layer underneath.
If you ever need a repair, some parts like the modular charging port and rear cameras are simple to swap out. However, replacing the inner foldable display or the complex spring-loaded hinge will take a lot of time and effort. You will probably want to keep a good case on this device since those screen repairs come with a very steep price tag.
The foldable smartphone market just got a major new player, but this teardown shows that the internal engineering is completely different from a standard iPhone. You get some impressive modular parts mixed with incredibly delicate cables and screens. Anyone planning to buy one should keep the cost of accidental damage protection in mind before checking out.
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