“Make us accountable,” Tom Marieb, Apple’s vice president of hardware, told me when asked if the iPhone Duo’s creasing would become more apparent after extended use.
Not only is the iPhone Duo probably the most anticipated phone launch this year, it’s arguably the most exciting Apple smartphone product since the iPhone X. Like the X, the Duo hints at what the next decade of iPhones will look like.
I’ve been waiting for Apple to launch a foldable phone ever since I first held the very first Samsung Galaxy Fold. A few days after I tried that particular phone, Samsung delayed it due to durability issues and it took a few months to see the light of day.
In the years since then, we’ve seen all kinds of foldable phones. Folds and flips, different screen sizes and shapes – but the issue of durability has always been at the fore. By nature, foldable phones can be sleeker than their traditional, flat-style siblings. There are several components, a vital hinge and a screen that must withstand being folded in and out several times a day.
Over the years, foldable phones have become more durable. Well, I’d say that most of the best foldable phones we’ve reviewed can hold up to heavy use, though there’s one thing in particular that still catches my eye. I’ve often noticed that even if a fold crease—the split that runs down the screen—is hard to see at first, it becomes more and more obvious over time.
Count us in
Ahead of the iPhone Duo’s October launch, I got a chance to sit down with Apple’s new vice president of product integrity, Tom Marieb, and one of the main things I wanted to know was whether the Duo would suffer the same fate.
“Please hold us accountable,” was his reply. He went on to say, “When you look at glossy displays, their uniqueness makes it very easy to recognize topological differences…that’s part of the reason we chose a matte finish (the screen coating). Not only is it beautiful in terms of anti-glare, but it also makes it more forgiving of changes and changes over time.”
Instead of the traditional glossy display you see on every other foldable device, Apple used a matte display on the iPhone Duo, which isn’t too dissimilar to the nano-textured coating found on Macs and iPads.
The surface looks beautiful – almost like paper, and hides the fold of the display incredibly well when looking directly at the phone.
During our chat, it became clear that the Duo is a phone that needs to last and not just look good out of the box. “The intention was not the first day, but the first day and the day after that.”
Of course, the screen is only part of what makes a foldable phone great. Many other components should be near perfect too, especially with a starting price of around £2,000/$2,000. But it really seems like Apple’s goal is to make the iPhone Duo as durable and long-lasting as possible.
