Apple on Monday acknowledged a display flaw affecting its newly released foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, following widespread social media reports from early customers whose interior screens cracked shortly after purchase.
The company said in a statement that it is aware of the defect and directed owners experiencing screen failures to seek hardware swaps. The problem emerged just days after the device reached consumers, marking one of the first major hardware rollouts under Apple Chief Executive Officer John Ternus since he succeeded Tim Cook.
“We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units,” Apple spokesperson Alex Kirschner said in a statement shared with multiple news outlets. “If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.”
Early failures and visible damage
Online complaints began appearing over the weekend across social platforms, including Reddit and X. Owners in Australia, China and the United States reported hearing an audible snap while opening or closing the handset, followed by visible fractures down the center crease and horizontal lines of malfunctioning pixels running across the panel, Gizmodo reported.
Several customers reported that displays failed within hours of unboxing, including one Australian buyer who reported fewer than 20 folds before the screen fractured, and a user in Texas whose phone broke during initial setup, according to Gizmodo. In multiple cases, retail Apple Store locations provided immediate device replacements on site.
CNET reported that outside laboratory stress tests have yielded mixed results. A CNET test using a custom automated folding machine logged more than 55,000 continuous folds at a rate of 900 folds per hour without sustaining display damage, highlighting that the issue has not appeared on every handset.
Teardown reveals potential hinge stress point
Repair specialists at iFixit published an analysis of the iPhone Duo based on CT scans, patent documents and a physical teardown to evaluate what could be triggering the breaks. The organization noted that the fractures appear clustered just beneath the internal cable connecting the two halves of the device.
According to iFixit, the foldable mechanism relies on a retractable center support bar designed to drop out of the way when the phone closes, allowing the flexible panel to bend in a gentle curve rather than a sharp crease. In 3D computer simulations of the closing action, iFixit observed that the center support bar can fail to descend completely, forcing the curved glass down against the rigid metal and generating a localized pressure point.
iFixit also reported that although the device carries an IP68 rating, dust and debris could still slip into the hinge mechanism itself, creating friction that could fracture the delicate inner panel.
Repairability and consumer impact
Despite the display concerns, iFixit awarded the iPhone Duo a provisional repairability score of 5 out of 10, designating it the most repairable folding smartphone the firm has dismantled. The group commended Apple for utilizing electrically releasable battery adhesive, modular internal layouts and rapid publication of repair manuals, contrasting it with competing devices like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8.
However, the inner display and hinge assembly remain complex and labor-intensive to service. Standard out-of-warranty replacements for the inner screen are set to cost $999, CNET reported, though current failures remain covered under standard manufacturer warranty terms.
It remains unclear how many units are affected globally or whether the screen fractures stem from an isolated manufacturing batch or a broader mechanical defect that could require engineering revisions.
