Make compromises: When Apple introduced the foldable duo, many wondered how well the hinge and screen would hold up. Within hours of the iPhone Duo’s launch, images of cracked displays were circulating on social media, and the damage wasn’t just limited to the crease itself.
In the iPhone Duo subreddit alone, there are already several threads of users complaining about cracked screens and sharing pictures of them. Some report that Apple has so far been generous with replacement parts for the $2,000 phone, but it remains to be seen how the company’s policy will evolve in dealing with production challenges.
Most photos show a break along the fold, from which a bright line of pixels extends to the right edge of the screen. The result resembles a giant white L-shape that stretches from one end of the internal screen to the middle.
iPhone Duo screen cracked within 6 hours of ownership
by u/Midnight_Slump on iPhoneDuo
A user in Australia reported the issue just six hours after purchasing the iPhone Duo after opening the device less than 20 times. He says he felt something on the hinge under the screen before hearing a crack as the screen broke. There were no marks on the screen surface or external hinge to indicate anything had become jammed.
Apple phone support offered an express replacement, but required a withholding of the full price of the phone and couldn’t say when the replacement would arrive. Instead, he went to the Apple Store, where employees immediately issued a full replacement.
Another user reportedly hadn’t even completed the initial setup before a similar crack occurred. Photos on Reddit, One user suspects that the tension springs that hold the iPhone Duo in different positions are to blame. It’s still too early to tell how widespread the problem is, and reviewers who have subjected the phone thousands of times have reported no cracks.
I didn’t even make it through the setup before the screen cracked
by u/leftyhyzer16 on iPhoneDuo
Given the repair costs listed by Apple, it’s fortunate that affected users will receive replacements quickly. Without AppleCare+, repairs and replacement parts cost between $49 and $1,499.
Apple’s reported production problems and low yields could also make it difficult to source replacement products as demand outstrips supply. While some customers have picked up the devices directly from the branches, other orders have already been secured until 2027.
Reviewers were generally positive about Apple’s first foldable phone, praising the hinge as the best they’ve ever used on a foldable phone and, in several cases, the speakers as well. The complaints mostly focus on the lack of Face ID, as well as software and developers who haven’t yet released updates that take full advantage of the large screen.
