Apple took its time getting into foldables. Now some early buyers say their new iPhone Duo is breaking at the fold.
The iPhone Duo started shipping last week. According to Yahoo Tech, a significant number of early owners have since reported cracked inner screens online. The weird part is that the damage keeps showing up in the exact same place.
Same Crack, Different Phones
Yahoo Tech describes the affected phones as showing a bright band of white pixels spreading from the same point near the middle of the fold. One Reddit user said they felt something in the hinge while opening the phone, right before the problem appeared, after just six hours of owning it. That user says Apple replaced it on the spot at a nearby Apple Store.
The pattern caught on fast on X, where one tech creator gave it a name.
https://twitter.com/AnxiousHolly/status/2114076459908387250
iFixit Has a Theory
iFixit, the repair site known for its teardowns, may have found the weak point. "The damage we're seeing in photos isn't right where the display cable passes through the hinge, but slightly lower, at a point where several edges meet and change how the thin display is supported as it bends," iFixit says in its iPhone Duo teardown, as quoted by Yahoo Tech.
iFixit suspects the center support bar under the fold doesn't drop down far enough. That could create "a small stress hotspot near the reported break location."
Apple Responds
Apple acknowledged the problem in a statement to 9to5Mac. "We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement," the company said. It added that "the response to iPhone Duo from early users has been incredibly positive."
Apple did not say how many phones are affected.
Why It Matters
This isn't a new problem for foldables. Yahoo Tech notes that the original Samsung Galaxy Fold had a similar issue in The Verge's 2019 review. Apple says the Duo's hinge has more than 100 components and its screen has 10 ultra-thin layers, so there's a lot that can go wrong.
Analysts say Apple needs to move quickly. "At $1,999, Apple is positioning the Duo as a premium alternative to established foldables, and how it handles this first-generation issue will shape buyer confidence in the category well beyond its own sales," Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of devices at IDC, told Yahoo. He added that with 28 more markets launching on Oct. 30, Apple "needs to clarify its warranty position quickly."
