I expect opening a foldable to be a headache. The iPhone Duo gives me a few surprises on the outer-display side, though, including a charging port that comes out as its own module.
In my full iPhone Duo teardown, I work through that side first, then open the back glass to reach the second battery. Here is what I find along the way.
The Outer Display Is the Way In
After heating the phone, I remove the pentalobe screws on the screen side and use a suction cup to lift the outer display. It comes away more easily than I am used to with other foldables. There is a frame around the panel, which gives me something more substantial to pry against.
Inside, I notice that the adhesive sits slightly to the right, with silicone around the display too. The first cover plate hides two screws. Underneath, the sensor and display connections overlap, and one flex cable is attached to another. I take care with those before lifting the screen away.
A Charging Port That Comes Out Separately
Down at the bottom, the I/O board connects to the main board. I disconnect the cables and remove it, revealing a separate charging-port module held by two T4 screws.
That is a pleasant surprise. I have not seen another iPhone with a completely modular charging port like this. So far, this side of the Duo has been easier to take apart than I expected.
Two Batteries, Two Sides to Open
The first battery sits behind the outer display. I use the electrically activated adhesive release, and it works surprisingly well. Once the battery is out, I flip it over to find the capacity label.
The other cell is in the back-glass half. After opening that side and disconnecting the back glass, I remove the second battery. That exposes the vapor chamber beneath it.
Outer display → covers and connections → first cell
Electrical adhesive release shown working on this cell.
Back glass → connections → second cell
Second-cell removal exposes the vapor-chamber area.
I also try disconnecting each battery individually. The phone stays on in both checks, which is a cool detail to find during the teardown. I switch it off before continuing the work.
Final Thoughts
The separate charging port is my favourite discovery on this side of the Duo. I also appreciate the framed outer display and how well the first battery’s adhesive releases.
There are still some delicate, overlapping cables to work around, but this side gives me a better first impression than I expected from a foldable.
See you in the next article!
