Galaxy Fold, Apple’s U1 Chip, and Making Louvers | Episode 15

Repair Radio: The Official iFixit Podcast

Hosts: Craig Lloyd, Kevin Purdy, and Whitson Gordon
Special Guest: Taylor Dixon
Music: Gypsy (@ArchaicsHipHop)

News Topics

• Microsoft Announces a Repairable Surface Laptop, and Boy Are We Excited: Microsoft has announced its most revolutionary laptop yet: a Surface that doesn’t require a service contract to use.
• Confirmed: Apple Developed Exclusive Tech for the U1 Ultra Wideband Radio: Since the iPhone 11 announcement, theories have abounded that Apple’s new U1 wireless chip is actually a Decawave Ultra Wideband DW1000. But a teardown of both Decawave and Apple’s U1 chip by TechInsights confirms that Apple developed their own technology. But what is the U1 chip, and what capabilities does it give Apple?
• Samsung Galaxy Fold Teardown: After Samsung tried to make our initial teardown disappear from the internet five months ago, we’re back with a teardown of the final, really-for-real this time retail Galaxy Fold. This model incorporates Samsung’s late-breaking hardware revisions for improved durability—but is it enough, or is the design fatally flawed? Join us for Galaxy Fold Teardown, Part Two: The Re-Unfoldening

Listener Questions

Since Taylor joined us to talk about our Galaxy Fold teardown, we decided it would be a good time to answer some questions specifically about the device.

• Super_mat2019 asked: “How could they make it waterproof?”
• Koffy_boachie asked: “Would you separate where it folds”?
• Zaksltan asked: “Can the entire display fold or just the middle?”
• Keroro_hanabi asked: “After disassembly, do you feel they made the phone for long-term use or short-term use.”
• Quantum.snow asked: “Does yours still work after the teardown?”
• Caprianmihai asked: “Is it possible to get dust out of the hinge?”
• Lucas0485839 asked: “What is inside the notch?”
• Al_melix asked: “How much would it cost to replace the broken glass?”

Have a Question You Want Answered on Repair Radio?

You can email your repair questions to [e-mail], or tag us on Twitter and include the hashtag #RepairRadio in your tweet. Your question can be anything repair-related, whether it’s how to fix something, tools you should buy, maintenance advice, or anything in between. We’ll pick some of our favorite questions and answer them on the podcast! And if you have general feedback about the podcast, we’d love to hear that as well!

Other Links Mentioned

• Panasonic’s New Toughbook 55
• Alcantara fabric on Microsoft Surface PCs: Everything you need to know | Windows Central