Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, has passed independent hinge testing that pushed it through 10,000 folding cycles at room temperature plus another 1,000 cycles in extreme cold at -20°C, according to Kotak Game. The same report says the device's titanium-layered hinge showed no functional decline after the stress test. The findings arrive as early retail units reach buyers, some of whom have raised display concerns, ANTARA News reports.
Why it matters
The iPhone Duo is Apple's entry into a foldable market that competitors have occupied for years, and its reception will shape how the company approaches a second generation. Kotak Game's testing suggests Apple got the mechanical side right: the hinge survived dust and water exposure under an IP6A rating, extreme drop tests, and bending in the opposite direction without breaking. The outlet calls it one of the toughest hinge designs on the market.
The display, however, is where the compromises show. How Apple balances durability, repairability and everyday feel on that inner panel will likely determine whether the Duo is judged as a finished product or a first attempt.
A softer screen cover, and the trade-offs that come with it
According to Kotak Game, Apple chose a much softer cover layer for the inner display instead of the ultra-thin glass (UTG) that rival manufacturers use to keep foldable screens rigid. The outlet reports that this choice lowers repair costs but changes how the touchscreen feels. The area directly over the hinge is described as noticeably spongy, and early testers found that finger pressure there can leave physical wrinkles.
Kotak Game notes that the fold crease is well hidden when the screen is bright, but its 10,000-fold test showed the depression deepening over time and becoming permanent. That is a familiar pattern for foldables, though the report frames it as a gap between Apple's launch promises and what empirical testing shows.
The inner panel uses a nano-texture layer with a distinctive microscopic asymmetric groove structure. Visually, Kotak Game describes the result as excellent: the screen resembles a sheet of real paper with very little light reflection, which the outlet says suits reading comics or long documents. Under a microscope, though, that same texture behaves like a sponge. Sweat, natural finger oils and cosmetic residue get trapped in the microscopic cavities and cannot be removed with an ordinary wiping cloth, per the report. Users must rely on a specific cleaning solution. Kotak Game warns that anyone who tries to peel the layer off themselves should expect a full screen replacement bill of $999.
Software rough edges and a wide body
Kotak Game also reports that hinge sensor and software integration is not yet mature on this first-generation device. The sensor often misreads orientation when the phone is opened or closed slowly, causing wallpaper transition glitches or a brief black screen while the interface finds the right layout.
On the outside, the report says the form factor is unusually wide when closed, which effectively removes the one-handed navigation that has long been a strength of traditional slab-style iPhones.
Early user complaints about the display, as covered by ANTARA News, line up with the concerns raised in the testing report. Separately, Kompas.com reports that demand for the iPhone Duo has exceeded expectations, prompting Apple to raise its shipment target. Sumeks, meanwhile, compares the device with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8, noting the Samsung foldable is priced Rp4.9 million lower, and Uzone.id has published its own hinge test that folded the iPhone Duo up to 32,000 times.
What to watch next: whether Apple addresses the soft cover layer and sensor behavior in a software update or reserves changes for a second-generation model, and whether early display complaints grow as more units reach daily use.
