One Tech Tip: As Apple’s Duo phone is released, here are dos and don’ts for folding phones

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Apple’s first folding phone arrives in stores on Friday, bringing the advantages of a flexible display to iPhone loyalists. Such devices also have their own unique care and protection considerations.

Folding screen phones have their upsides. Owners can have a pocket-size device that expands into a bigger seamless screen and can also act as its own stand or tripod. But the technology also requires a bit more attention than a traditional smartphone.

Many users have reported shipping dates for preorders of the Duo are slipping into January, so buyers could face delays.

Apple hasn’t posted any online information yet on how to take care of the Duo, and the company didn’t respond to a request on whether it plans to. But rival phone makers like Samsung and Google that have been making folding devices for years have put out guidance on caring for the devices.

Should you get a screen protector? It depends

Owners of traditional smartphones know it’s wise to get a screen protector to minimize damage to the glass.

For folding phones, it’s a little more complicated. The Duo, like many other folding phones, has both a rigid outer screen that doesn’t fold and a main folding inner screen. Protectors for the Duo’s outer screen are already available from Amazon and other retailers.

But it’s different for the main display. Samsung already adds a protective layer to the inner screen on its Galaxy Fold phones and Google does the same for its folding Pixel devices.

Google warns against removing or peeling back the pre-installed screen protector or adding your own. “Do not apply a third-party screen protector,” it says. Samsung advises taking its devices to a service center if the layer needs replacing.

Apple appears to be taking a similar tack with the Duo.

A company executive told an Italian influencer that the Duo will have a replaceable cover layer on the folding screen. “It’s actually replaceable, which is a really nice thing for the customer, that you can peel off that layer and get a new one,” Kate Bergeron, Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering, said in a video interview with the influencer.

In apparent confirmation, a tech YouTuber found that AppleCare’s service price list for the Duo phone lists a “cover layer” for $19.

Apple’s press office didn’t respond to a request to confirm these details.

But do remember to get a protective case. They’re available from Apple and aftermarket manufacturers.

The main weak point of a folding phone is the hinge.

Hardware makers have come up with sophisticated mechanisms that allow phones to open and close, but these hinges still have tiny gaps that are vulnerable to debris.

“Don’t take it to the beach – they don’t like sand,” said Ben Wood, a tech analyst at FDM CCS Insight.

Chinese phone brand Honor says in online guidance that the rotating hinge on its folding phones “has small gaps that can allow sand and dust to enter.”

“These particles can cause damage to the screen and the hinge mechanism, leading to abnormal noises and potential malfunctions,” it says, and recommends not using the phone when it’s windy or dusty.

If a phone starts making unusual noises when folding, it’s best not to open or close it anymore because it could be a sign that grit has gotten into the mechanism.

Folding screens are softer and more flexible than standard smartphone screens. That also makes them more vulnerable.

Google recommends avoiding contact with “crumbs, fingernails and sharp objects.”

Samsung advises making sure there’s nothing between the screens like a card, a coin or a key that could “scratch or puncture the main screen.”

Folding phones typically have strong magnets on their edges to keep the screen closed, which will also attract anything metallic that can damage the screen.

You might even consider — as some device makers recommend — not keeping the phone in the same pocket or bag as your keys or coins.

Don’t bend the phone backward or use too much force when opening or closing it.

Honor, which sells phones everywhere but North America, recommends not opening or closing its phones when it’s very cold, because the screen can become brittle and crack more easily. And the company advises not leaving it closed for a long time, which can put stress on the screen and hinge.

And, of course, you should still follow general smartphone cleaning and maintenance practices to help your device last as long as possible.

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