Will the iPhone Duo be repairable? iFixit is skeptical even before seeing it

Even before iPhone Duo arrives in the hands of those who disassemble smartphones for a living, iFixit already has a clear stance: the repairability of Apple’s first foldable does not look good. “Usually we are a rather optimistic group”, the team writes, “but looking at the iPhone Duo today we have agreed that probably won’t be repairable.”

iPhone Duo repairability: what the history of foldables teaches

The pessimism of iFixit stems from precedents: the very first Samsung Galaxy Fold had earned a repairability score of just 2 out of 10, while the Motorola Razr of 2020 did even worse, stopping at 1 out of 10. On these devices, replacing the battery and the screen proved to be a long and costly job.

One of the recurring problems is dust: despite the use of advanced protections, the hinge mechanisms of foldables tend to accumulate debris over time. On Galaxy Z Flip, for example, the team found the hinge covered in dust despite the defenses designed specifically to prevent it.

Google’s progress still isn’t enough yet

Not all foldables are the same: according to iFixit, Google has made more concrete steps toward repairability, offering official guides and replacement parts available for purchase. Even so, Pixel 10 Pro Fold stops at a repairability score of 4 out of 10, and replacing the inner screen requires over 200 steps and three to five hours of work.

It is precisely against this backdrop that iFixit looks with skepticism at iPhone Duo, without Apple having released any statement on the repairability of its first foldable. The team’s conclusion is clear: “the most sustainable phone is the one you already own”, an invitation to repair current devices rather than chasing every new upgrade.

In the meantime, if you want to discover all the differences between Apple’s first foldable and the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 you can check our comparison between design and specs.

For all the latest on the brand’s ecosystem, you can find our most recent articles in GizChina.it’s Apple section.