Apple Exec Says “Hold Us Accountable” on iPhone Duo Crease

Summary

Apple hardware engineering VP Tom Marieb gave a direct and somewhat unusual response when TechRadar asked whether the iPhone Duo’s fold crease would become more visible over time, as typically happens on competing foldables. Marieb said Apple’s nano-texture display, produced using maskless laser lithography to create a perceptually flat matte surface, is specifically engineered to resist crease visibility degradation. He told the outlet to “hold us accountable” on that promise once the phone has been in customers’ hands for a year. The statement comes the same day Notebookcheck published a hands-on report noting the crease is clearly visible from certain angles, despite Apple’s clever nano-texture engineering.

Why it matters

Apple’s first foldable does not ship until October 23, so pre-order customers deciding whether to spend $1,999 and up deserve a straight answer on the crease question. Marieb’s “hold us accountable” language is either confident or risky, and this week’s hands-on reports suggest the crease is more visible than Apple’s marketing implies.

HTD Says

Apple’s VP told the world to hold the company to its crease-resistance claims on the iPhone Duo, and hands-on reports out this week suggest the accountability moment may arrive sooner than Apple expects. Getting a first generation of any product is quite risky. I usually recommend holding off until a second generation is released to give the vendor time to work out the bugs and kinks.

Of course, when Apple announced its Apple Silicon M1 MacBooks, I broke my own rule, mainly because I knew Apple would eventually ditch Intel (and because I truly needed a new Mac). I haven’t regretted my decision (knock on wood).

However, this foldable screen could (and probably will) start to show the crease over time and with use. Companies like Samsung have had a couple of generations to figure it out, and I’m sure Apple will, too. Unless you absolutely need a Duo (or if you aren’t worried), I would hold off a bit.

Source:

MacRumors