Apple Integrates Custom A20 Pro Chip, Metal-on-Foam Cooling, and Graphite Hinge Tubes in New iPhone Duo
Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, features a specialized A20 Pro chip variant designed alongside a unique “metal-on-foam” cooling material and a flexible graphite hinge tube, 01net reported. While the standard iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max also house the A20 Pro processor, the folding model incorporates specific hardware modifications to manage its unique thermal and mechanical footprint.
Dual Display Engines Built for Folding Hardware
The A20 Pro chip inside the iPhone Duo includes a second display engine to operate the inner and outer screens simultaneously. Dan Murray, vice-president of semiconductor engineering at Apple, stated in an interview with PCMag that the inclusion guarantees a smooth user experience across both panels by using increased processor and graphics capabilities.
Metal-on-Foam Thermal Integration
To bridge the A20 Pro processor and the vapor chamber, Apple developed an internal material known as “metal-on-foam.” Banafsheh Barabadi, senior manager of thermal product design at Apple, told PCMag that the material dissipates heat efficiently while meeting strict mechanical system requirements. The component required months of development to optimize its material properties.
Flexible Graphite Hinge Management
Managing heat dissipation presented a major design hurdle because the device nearly doubles in volume when folded. Apple addressed the challenge by running a flexible graphite tube through the hinge to transfer heat between the two halves of the device. Barabadi noted that the joint development by thermal and mechanical teams produced a flexible component capable of withstanding numerous opening and closing cycles while maintaining its thermal conductivity and structural integrity.
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