The i Phone Duo seemed like it fixed the folding crease problem, but these images show you should temper your expectations | Tech Radar
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The i Phone Duo seemed like it fixed the folding crease problem, but these images show you should temper your expectations
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Hands-on images show a visible crease on the new i Phone Duo
It can be seen when the device is held at certain angles and in different lighting
While Apple hasn't quite solved this common issue, its nano-texture layer significantly helps to reduce visibility
Apple finally unveiled the i Phone Duo at its ‘Surprise and Shine’ event, its first device in the foldable phone market, and from our first hands-on experiments with it I have to say, it looks rather impressive.
And yes, Apple has taken its sweet time to launch its first foldable (Samsung was ahead of the game in 2019 with the first Galaxy Fold device), but that’s likely due to Apple’s determination to solve one of the most annoying setbacks with folding phones — the display crease.
In the build-up to the i Phone Duo announcement, rumors suggested that the device’s folding display wouldn’t come with a visible crease. However, early hands-on images appear to show that Apple might not have quite got the results it was looking for.
It hasn’t even been 24 hours since the i Phone Duo was announced, and Redditors are already pointing out its partially visible crease, which you can see when the device is held at different angles and in certain lighting (see below).
Not a bad crease but the media saying there is none just doesn’t want to be canceled by Apple from r/i Phone Fold
I’m not one to be picky, but despite the matte smoothness of the folding nano-texture display — which helps to significantly reduce the visibility of the crease — there’s a clear vertical dip that runs through the centre of the i Phone Duo’s 7.6-inch screen. Apple knew this would be one of the most-asked questions, and the company has come equipped with all the answers you could need on the i Phone Duo product page.
I touched the i Phone Duo and Apple just solved the foldable crease problem
Samsung just fixed the foldable phone — now Apple can make it cool
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‘i Phone Duo features a wonderfully flat and smooth inner display with custom nano-texture finish technology to reduce glare and reflections for an uninterrupted viewing experience. The optically clear adhesives let the display layers glide as the screen folds, minimising stress and creasing’.
Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t quite hit the nail on the head with overcoming one of the biggest obstacles with folding phones, but at the same time, eliminating the crease entirely is almost an impossible task. Think about it: if you’re constantly folding and unfolding the device several times a day, then this is going to have an obvious visual impact on the device over time — which is the case for all foldables.
Luckily for Apple, it appears that users aren’t entirely concerned with the slight visibility of the i Phone Duo’s crease.
Several owners of foldable phones shared on Reddit that once you’ve used a foldable for some time, the crease becomes invisible to you simply because you just get used to it being there. Others have been a bit more abrasive: ‘I'll never understand the people who make the crease a big deal,’ one user added, while another simply commented ‘I have a folding phone. The crease is a complete non-issue’. They must be a Galaxy Fold owner, surely.
Criticism aside, our first hands-on with the i Phone Duo was far from a let down. Our Editor-at-Large, Lance Ulanoff, recalls having very minimal issues with the device’s crease. From our first-look images, the crease is unidentifiable when the phone is held face-on, and the matte display helps to get rid of that annoying glare.
For its first foldable phone I have to say, Apple has done pretty much all it can for it to join the folding device market seven years behind its biggest rivals. Despite the lack of features such as Face ID and Action Button, the i Phone Duo looks like a solid beginning for Apple’s next big venture — even if I’m not the biggest fan of the name.
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Rowan is an Editorial Associate and Apprentice Writer for Tech Radar. A recent addition to the news team, he is involved in generating stories for topics that spread across Tech Radar's categories. His interests in audio tech and knowledge in entertainment culture help bring the latest updates in tech news to our readers.
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