Owners of some $2,000 iPhone Duo devices say the phone develops unusual resistance, and sometimes a clicking sound, when they close it before a line appears on the display. A CT scan by iFixit suggests the failure begins beneath the point where a ribbon cable passes through the hinge, where a change in the support mechanism’s width may indicate mechanical misalignment. The suspected problem could place repeated stress on the OLED panel and cause permanent damage within minutes or after several days.
How the hinge could damage the display
The animation above presents iFixit’s leading explanation. A support bar in the narrower section of the hinge may become stuck, preventing it from lowering far enough to accommodate the OLED panel’s bending as the device closes. That could create stress in the display and eventually damage its matrix.
YouTuber Interesting Hagi also examined the area and identified points where thin links may have broken during operation. He speculates that the component could be physically attached to the support plate.
If the small hinge component is responsible, affected devices may have no practical way to avoid OLED failure. The damage could occur after five minutes or five days, but continued pressure on the panel would eventually result in permanent damage.
A familiar problem for foldable phones
Apple has not acknowledged the issue and may not comment until its investigation is complete. The scale of the problem is impossible to determine. Apple sells a large number of devices, so even a low failure rate can produce many reports on social media. Adding moving parts to a phone also increases the potential for hardware problems, at least to some degree.
Apple is not the first company to encounter difficulties with its first foldable device. In 2019, Samsung released the original Galaxy Fold with a more primitive hinge design. Reviewers began noticing OLED damage after only a few days of use, even before the phone’s official release.
In that case, openings in the hinge allowed particulates to enter and damage the screen from below. Samsung delayed the launch while it redesigned the hinge.
Samsung’s foldable phones are not immune to defects, but they have not generated widespread reports of failing immediately out of the box. Other foldable-phone manufacturers ship far fewer units, meaning occasional defects may receive less attention online. Apple’s larger user base makes reports about potential hardware problems more visible.
Source: arstechnica.com