The Apple iPhone Duo will officially start shipping on Friday, October 23. Still, a few customers managed to get the first foldable iPhone a bit earlier.
A hands-on video below shows that Apple has not completely fixed the “crease problem,” even though early reports from the launch event suggested it was solved.
The Apple iPhone Duo uses a different approach than its competitors. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 ($1,699 on Amazon) has a flexible but hard surface made with “Ultra Thin Glass.” In contrast, Apple uses a softer cover that is cheaper to replace if it gets scratched.
The video below shows that this hinge and display design makes the foldable screen especially soft just above the hinge.
If you run your finger across this area, the crease is easy to see and can even be felt. But when the display is untouched, the crease is hardly noticeable.
It is not clear how this design will hold up over time. On many foldable phones, the crease in the middle of the screen gets more noticeable the more the phone is folded and unfolded.
The official shipping start on Friday will likely bring more videos showing the Apple iPhone Duo’s display crease in detail. Until then, no final conclusions should be drawn.