YouTuber Dissects iPhone Duo to Find Cause of Hinge Failure
Social media and online communities are seeing numerous reports of Apple's foldable device failing quickly, leading a YouTuber to dissect the hardware and investigate the root cause.
Radwan AbdulhadiEditor and technology writer
Reports of Early Failures Emerge Across Social Media
Social media platforms and online communities such as the iPhone Duo subreddit have become filled with user reports regarding Apple’s foldable device failing quickly and in spectacular fashion. Some owners report owning the phone for only a few hours before the hinge appears to catch on an internal obstruction, followed by an audible crack that damages the display.
Tellingly, the resulting screen cracks all appear to happen in the exact same place across different user experiences. These troubling hardware failures have prompted broader discussions online about the overall durability and manufacturing quality of the foldable device.
Durability Testing and Teardown by YouTuber
Seeking to understand the root cause behind these widespread complaints, YouTuber CuriousHagi was able to successfully reproduce the cracked screen phenomenon during routine durability testing of the iPhone Duo. Following the successful reproduction of the fault, the YouTuber pulled the device apart to examine its internal engineering and locate the culprit.
The subsequent teardown revealed that the Duo utilizes a notably complex hinge assembly. This mechanical structure consists of a gear-like central hinge flanked by two different types of linking hinges designed to support the folding mechanism.
Identifying the Structural Weak Point
Further investigation into the individual components of the hinge assembly highlighted the specific piece responsible for the structural failure. The part that broke is one of the linking components situated in the middle of the phone.
Crucially, this particular link happens to be noticeably thinner than the other links positioned either above or below it in the assembly. Because of this reduced thickness, it snapped directly at a small notch engineered into the component, representing a clear point of structural vulnerability.
Mechanical Marks and Evidence of Binding
In addition to finding the fractured component, the physical inspection uncovered distinct marks on the hardware where the hinge mechanism met the support plate. These physical markings strongly indicate the exact areas where the mechanical parts may have gotten caught during normal folding operations.
The combination of the thinner linking component snapping at its notch and the physical rubbing marks against the support plate provides a compelling physical explanation for the sudden screen failures reported by early adopters across the globe.
Sources
- The VergeA YouTuber dissected an iPhone Duo and thinks he found the cause of crackgate
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