Home · Technology · Sep 19 archive
Apple VP Defends iPhone Duo's Crease and Hinge
Developing
In Short: Apple's hardware engineering VP Tom Marieb defended the iPhone Duo's crease and hinge design in an interview with TechRadar, highlighting the extensive effort put into both features.
Marieb said the hinge was a point of pride, noting that it took a lot of time to perfect the torque profile for different use cases, allowing the device to be used in partially folded, seated, and standing modes, as well as open and closed.
He emphasized that the hinge was designed to feel solid, akin to a high-end automobile's car door, and that the company had invested significant effort to achieve this level of durability.
Marieb also discussed the iPhone Duo's matte nano-texture display, which he said was chosen not only for its anti-glare properties but also to minimize the visibility of the crease over time.
He explained that glossy displays can make small surface irregularities more visible due to how they reflect light, while the matte finish scatters light, making the crease harder to see.
Marieb asked people to hold Apple accountable on crease visibility and expressed confidence in the device's design, noting that the company had developed coatings to resist scratching and general wear without the need for a screen protector.
Marieb, who took over the hardware engineering role from CEO John Ternus, spoke to TechRadar at Apple's London office about the iPhone Duo's hinge and Ceramic Shield 2 coating.
While Apple has not published numbers on crease depth, Marieb's comments suggest that the company is confident in the durability and visibility of the crease.
Apple's new foldable device, the iPhone Duo, is a first-time entrant in the foldable smartphone market, and Marieb's confidence is not yet backed by independent durability results.
Samsung and other foldable makers have spent several hardware generations on hinge durability, and reviewers still flag hinge wear and dust ingress as recurring weak points years into the category.
What this adds
Apple's VP of Hardware Engineering, Tom Marieb, expressed confidence in the iPhone Duo's hinge and crease design, but independent durability results are still pending.
The matte nano-texture display is meant to minimize crease visibility over time, but Apple has not provided specific data on crease depth.
Background
Apple unveiled the iPhone Duo, a high-end foldable device, while experts recommend the best iPhone VPNs for privacy.
Apple has launched its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, with a minimized crease and a starting price of $1,999, while also raising the prices of its existing iPhone models.
What's still developing
- That's part of the reason we picked the matte finish — it's not only beautiful in terms of preventing glare, but it's also more forgiving of [hinge] changes over time.
- “Personally, when I see someone put a screen protector on their iPhone, it makes my skin crawl, because we work so hard to make beautiful front screens,” Marieb told TechRadar.
- Asked why creases can become more visible over months of use on foldables generally, Marieb pointed to that finish as a deliberate choice, not just an anti-glare feature.
- That’s a claim about visibility, not about whether the crease itself is smaller or shallower than on competing foldables — Apple hasn’t published numbers on crease depth, and Marieb’s answer doesn’t offer any.