Apple reportedly implemented a smart way to keep its foldable iPhone cool. The iPhone Duo has a flexible graphite pipe inside its hinge to carry heat between the phone’s two halves. This helps spread heat over a wider area instead of letting it build up near the processor. A latest report highlighted it, after Dan Murray, Apple’s vice president of silicon engineering, and Banafsheh Barabadi, the company’s senior manager of thermal product design, talked about this design during an interview with PCMag.
The executives have mentioned that the device carries a vapor chamber and a special material called ‘metal over foam’ to move heat away from the A20 Pro chip. While explaining how the technology works, Barabadi stated, “Basically, it creates a direct thermal and mechanically compliant coupling between the SoC and the vapor chamber. It is highly effective in removing the heat, meeting the strict mechanical requirements of the system. It took us months of development to get the material properties exactly right to be able to use this material.”
The cooling system has three main parts. The vapor chamber spreads heat across a wider area. The ‘metal over foam’ material helps carry heat from the chip to the chamber. The flexible graphite pipe then moves heat between the phone’s two halves. The system keeps working as the user folds and opens the phone. This makes the hinge more than a simple joint between the screens.
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A foldable phone has very little space for its parts. The iPhone Duo is reported to have a 7.6-inch inner screen and a 5.4-inch outer screen. Both sections meet at the hinge, leaving little room for a large cooling system.
The processor can heat up during games, video work, and other demanding tasks, and the heat needs a way out, even when the phone is folded. The graphite pipe helps carry it across both halves, giving it more space to spread.
It is a clever use of the hinge, which can help with cooling as well as folding. By using the hinge to help move heat, the company may be able to balance power, cooling, and a slim design.