Apple has confirmed that the inner screen on some iPhone Duos is breaking along the hinge, just days after its first foldable went on sale. The company says only a “small number” of phones are affected and it will replace them. Still, if you’ve just spent $1,999 on one, it’s worth knowing what to look out for.
A crunch, then a line of bright pixels
The iPhone Duo arrived in shops on Friday. By the weekend, owners were posting photos of cracked screens on Reddit, X and the MacRumors forums. The stories are strikingly similar. The phone feels stiff or catches as it’s unfolded, there’s a crunch or pop, and a crack appears along the centre crease. Most leave a line of bright pixels or a white patch across one side of the inner screen.
One owner in Australia told MacRumors his phone broke after about six hours and fewer than 20 opens, with no marks on the screen or hinge beforehand. His local Apple Store swapped it straight away. Bloomberg reports a growing number of similar complaints from buyers whose screens failed after hours or days.
Not every picture doing the rounds is genuine. CNBC, 9to5Mac and MacRumors all say some of the images are fakes, including AI-generated ones, which makes the true scale of the problem hard to judge.
What Apple says
On Monday Apple gave CNBC and other outlets this statement: “We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units.” It added that anyone affected should contact AppleCare, Apple’s support service, for a replacement.
Apple hasn’t said what’s causing the cracks or whether a fix is coming. According to MacRumors, Apple says the fault tends to show up soon after purchase rather than developing over months, and most owners won’t see it at all. 9to5Mac adds that you don’t need to have paid for AppleCare+ to get a replacement. If you bought through a mobile network, go to Apple directly rather than your network.
The hinge is the prime suspect
Repair specialists iFixit took the Duo apart over the weekend and think the hinge design may be to blame. As reported by Thurrott, iFixit found a spot where the screen’s curved fold comes down onto the hinge’s central support bar. That creates a small pressure point close to where the cracks are appearing. Forbes also points to a screen cable that runs across the middle of the hinge.
iFixit’s boss, Kyle Wiens, pointed out that the hinge is made of dozens of precisely fitted parts. A tiny manufacturing variation, or even a grain of sand, could be enough to break the delicate screen. That would fit with Apple saying only some phones are affected. On the other hand, TechRadar notes that one YouTuber could only recreate the damage by deliberately bending the phone backwards.
What it means for you
If you’ve got an iPhone Duo, give the inner screen a careful look, especially along the fold. Open and close it gently. If it feels stuck or you hear a crunch, stop rather than forcing it. iFixit noticed that many owners describe pushing past exactly that kind of resistance just before the screen broke.
If yours is already damaged, contact AppleCare through the Apple Support app or take it to an Apple Store. MacRumors says replacement stock is limited, so you may have to wait. Don’t be fobbed off: Apple has said publicly that affected phones will be replaced.
If you’re still thinking about buying one, waiting a few weeks is no bad idea. That gives Apple time to work out what’s going wrong and, hopefully, fix it on the production line.
The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 in the US. Out of warranty, Apple charges $999 to repair the inner screen, according to CNBC. UK prices for the phone and the repair weren’t included in the reports we’ve seen.
