Key takeaways
- JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson says the iPhone Duo “does not survive” his durability test. Despite the IP68 rating, dust got into the hinge and the phone could no longer close fully.
- The bend test left a permanent green line across the inner display, then two more, and the screen stopped responding. The inner screen scratched at level two, and a new one costs $999.
- My view: now it is finally out. The Duo is not the invention of the year. It is just an expensive phone that cannot pass a durability test.
Zack Nelson of the YouTube channel JerryRigEverything has been scratching, burning, bending and sanding every major phone for years, and he has tested folding phones since the very first generation. On October 23, the day the iPhone Duo went on sale, he published his durability test. His verdict: “The iPhone Duo does not survive my durability test.”
The outer display with Ceramic Shield 2 scratched at level seven on the Mohs scale, which is normal. The flexible inner screen scratched at level two, and fingernails left deeper marks. Then came the dust. Despite the IP68 rating, dust entered the hinge at several points, and the magnets that hold the phone shut could no longer close it against the trapped debris. “The dusty Duo is damaged,” Nelson said. In the bend test, the inner display got a permanent green line, then two more, and finally it stopped responding. “I’ve been testing these folding phones since the first generation seven years ago, most do survive,” he said. “The iPhone Duo did not.” Apple has not commented.
| Test | iPhone Duo result |
|---|---|
| Outer display scratch | Level 7 (normal) |
| Inner display scratch | Level 2, deeper marks from fingernails |
| Dust | Dust entered the hinge, phone could not close fully |
| Bend | Permanent green lines, inner display stopped responding |
| Verdict | “Does not survive” |
| New inner display | $999 without AppleCare+ |
In this article: Now it is finally out · IP68, and the dust got in anyway · Pretty outside, compromises inside · Apple fans and the “Android YouTuber” · Nano-texture: sweeping it under the carpet · Ternus and the PR machine · If you already bought one · Will Apple react? · FAQ
Now it is finally out
Now it is finally out, and we have confirmation: the Duo is not the invention of the year. It is just an expensive phone that does not even pass a durability test. John Ternus told everyone that other foldables were “cheap and crappy”. Now this test shows everyone what it means to be the best on the market. Apple fell flat on its face.
And I know for sure this is not bad luck. Too many fails together. A cracked screen on day one, then an embarrassing repair manual and a support page for when something goes wrong with the hinge, and now this test. Yuck, Apple.
IP68, and the dust got in anyway
Apple gave the Duo an IP68 rating. The first number is dust protection, and 6 is the highest level, “dust-tight.” Folding phones have a big problem with dust, because the hinge has gaps and moving parts, so most of the competition promises less. And here we found out that Apple promises us something the phone did not deliver in a real test.
Why claim what you don’t have, and then sell it on top of that? I know an IP rating is tested in a lab under exact conditions, and Zack’s test is his own. I don’t want to accuse Apple of anything. But for God’s sake, isn’t this misleading the customer? I watched the tests myself, and Samsung, with lower dust protection, held up better. Apple fans scream that something was not fair. Everything was fair.
Pretty outside, compromises inside
When you talked about the Duo and launched it on stage, you must have known what you really have. A phone that is pretty outside, but inside full of compromises: weaker cameras, Touch ID instead of Face ID, and no earpiece on the inner screen, so if you open the phone during a call, the sound goes to the loudspeaker. And after this test, in my opinion, it is one of the most fragile phones you can buy. After test after test, the phone stays like an old book that will not close all the way.
How much does a person have to protect this phone? This is BS, and it makes no sense to me how it is even possible. You sell it so expensive, and in fact the customer pays only for the brand, only to show how cool he is with a new phone. And then you find out that before you put it in your pocket, you almost have to disinfect the pocket, because the phone hates dust. I am not even talking about a handbag or a backpack. That will be a mega thing: you take it out, open it, and then you can’t close it again.
Apple fans and the “Android YouTuber”
Fans say Zack is an “Android YouTuber” who hates Apple. But we are used to Apple fans: whatever the company says, they take it seriously and defend it. And we don’t know who these fans are. Maybe people who already have the Duo in their hands, haven’t gone outside with it yet and don’t know what everyone is talking about, because they are excited about a new device.
Zack only showed the truth: that Apple polished everything this time. How clever they are, how they have IP68, how long they worked on the Duo and on that perfect matte coating. The bend test is more of a show. A normal user will never do that in his life. He just wanted to show how good the hinge is. But dust is normal life. Sand gets into your jacket pocket even in a city far from any beach.
Nano-texture: sweeping it under the carpet
The matte nano-texture hides scratches on the inner display when it is on, but they stay. That is sweeping it under the carpet. You know the screen scratches this much, and you know how expensive it is to replace. Why didn’t you develop something better, instead of a nano-texture that only creates the illusion that nothing is there? My guess is that the nano-texture works only for some time. After a month or two, the illusion will also go away, and then the place around the hinge will look terrible.
Ternus and the PR machine
I said from the start that, for me, this man got a position that maybe doesn’t belong to him, and he is leading Apple to where the wow effect gets lost. He talks a lot, he is very famous, and he maybe knew he would mess this up. There were many signs. But he kept saying that other foldables were the worst, while the Duo is so soft and sensitive to everything that a person really buys this phone at his own risk.
This year Apple disappointed me a lot, in every sense. I expected more from the Duo for that price, and in fact it is just another foldable that shows you cannot cheat physics, even when your name is Apple. All that dramatic show around the Duo was just a PR machine. My prediction: in a few weeks, it will be no problem to buy this phone normally in stores, and the pre-order reservations will start to be cancelled.
If you already bought one
My advice: you bought a phone you have to take care of. Buy a sterile handbag and backpack for it, and it will last longer. And if something gets under the display, be ready that the screen will not last long.
And here I will be a little cynical. Maybe that is why Apple put the tougher display on the outside, because it knew the inner one would not last long.
Will Apple react?
Yes, and I think we won’t wait long. When it really shows how fragile these phones are, staying silent will be bad for Apple. In scale, this is not Bendgate. But I think Apple will handle it the same way as with the iPhone 6: wait for more cases, and then quietly make the next version stronger.
Also on Evolt News: iPhone Duo jailbroken on day one · iPhone Duo reviews wear pink glasses
Photo: Apple.
This article is opinion.
iPhone Duo durability test: FAQ
Did the iPhone Duo pass the JerryRigEverything durability test?
No. Zack Nelson said the iPhone Duo “does not survive” his durability test. Dust got into the hinge, and the bend test left permanent lines on the inner display before it stopped responding.
Is the iPhone Duo dust resistant?
Apple rates the iPhone Duo IP68 for dust and water resistance. In JerryRigEverything’s test, dust still entered the hinge and stopped the phone from closing fully.
How easily does the iPhone Duo inner screen scratch?
In the test, the inner screen scratched at level two on the Mohs scale, and fingernails left deeper marks. The matte nano-texture coating makes the marks less visible when the screen is on.
How much does it cost to replace the iPhone Duo inner screen?
Apple charges $999 to replace the inner display without AppleCare+, and $99 with AppleCare+.
Has Apple responded to the JerryRigEverything test?
Apple has not commented on the test.
Sources: JerryRigEverything, MacRumors, Dexerto, Tbreak, Mediastorm, MacRumors Forums.
Our Take
The iPhone Duo failed JerryRigEverything’s durability test: dust got into the hinge despite IP68, and the inner screen died after the bend test. For me, it is no longer bad luck. It is confirmation that the Duo is not the invention of the year.
If you buy it, treat it like a museum piece. And I expect Apple to quietly make the next one stronger, just like after the iPhone 6.
