Apple VP emphasizes hinge durability and matte display to limit iPhone Duo crease visibility

Apple hardware engineering vice president Tom Marieb told TechRadar that the upcoming iPhone Duo will feature a matte nano-texture display intended to cut glare and make the fold crease harder to see. He said the matte finish was chosen because glossy screens highlight surface irregularities, and asked consumers to hold the company accountable for crease visibility.

"Hold us accountable to that, please. The choice of a matte finish — apart from it being beautiful — is part of that equation. When you look at glossy displays, their specularity makes it very easy to pick up topology differences. 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," Marieb said. Marieb added that the hinge design was a focus of development, describing extensive work on its torque profile to make it feel solid and reliable, comparable to a well-engineered automobile door. He said the hinge was engineered to avoid a "floppy" feel and to support various usage modes, including partially folded positions. "We really worked on the torque profile very heavily, and that means changing a lot of the mechanical properties of the hinge to have it feel solid, like a high-end automobile's car door, when you shut it. That was design intent, so people would have a feeling like, 'Oh, it's okay. This is well crafted, and it's safe for me to use and not worry about it.'" Marieb also mentioned the upcoming Ceramic Shield 2 and expressed a preference against using screen protectors. The iPhone Duo is slated for pre-order on October 16, with a launch date of October 23 and a starting price of $1,999.