Just days after Apple launched its first foldable smartphone, the tech giant is offering replacements following multiple reports of damaged inner screens along the folding crease.
The iPhone Duo went on sale Friday with a starting price of $1,999, drawing long lines and extended preorder delivery windows. Over the weekend, however, early buyers took to social media to share pictures and videos showing fractured displays, black impact spots and bright horizontal lines across the 7.6-inch inner screen. In response, Apple acknowledged the malfunction on Monday and advised owners to reach out to customer support.
“We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units,” an Apple representative told CNBC. “If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.”
Teardowns point to hinge friction
While some images circulating online were manipulated or generated by artificial intelligence, professional teardown technicians identified physical design factors that could make the flexible screen vulnerable to damage.
Shahram Mokhtari, lead teardown technician at repair organization iFixit, told The Verge that the issue stems from mechanics inside the folding mechanism. The hinge uses an intricate system of springs, gears and structural joints designed to allow the phone to shut flat while cushioning the screen. However, teardowns showed a transition area near a crossing ribbon cable where the central support bar may fail to retract properly, potentially pushing metal directly into the fragile display panel during folding.
“Right where the damage is happening, the hinge is shaped a little differently,” Mokhtari said in an iFixit video, adding that several customers reported hearing an audible crunching sound before the panel failed. Kyle Wiens, chief executive of iFixit, posted on X that the hinge comprises dozens of ultra-precise components where small manufacturing variations or loose grit can quickly ruin the delicate display.
Independent durability creator CuriousHagi similarly observed in a teardown video that a hinge component connecting to the central support bar snapped during rigorous testing.
Stress tests and long-term questions
Unlike competitors such as Samsung, which rates its latest folding handsets for 500,000 folds, Apple has not publicized an official fold-count rating for the iPhone Duo, Gizmodo reported. Independent reviewers quickly put the hardware through automated and manual stress tests.
YouTuber Kuba Klawiter conducted a manual endurance livestream in which an iPhone Duo survived 50,000 folds before being exposed to dirt, developing a heavier crease at 60,000 folds, and finally suffering a cracked display on fold 75,001 following an ice bath. Other tech reviewers, including Joanna Stern using a custom robotic rig and Tim Pan of MediaStorm using an industrial tester, logged tens of thousands of folds on intact review units without testing them to structural failure.
According to Apple’s website, repairing an inner screen on an iPhone Duo outside of warranty coverage costs $999. Mokhtari noted that while most customers appear to be using their phones without problems, lingering failure rates over the coming months could determine whether the company eventually faces broader repair programs or redesigns for future generations.
