Apple on Friday officially released its first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, sparking long lines and rapid sellouts across the country even as some early buyers reported hardware failures within hours of opening their devices.
Shoppers camped out overnight outside retail locations in multiple cities to buy the gadget, which features a 7.6-inch folding interior screen. Yet, as devices made their way into customer hands, complaints emerged on social media about screens cracking right along the folding mechanism, The Verge reported.
Early complaints of screen damage
Multiple posts on Reddit showed affected units suffering from damage centered around the internal hinge, The Verge reported. The defect appears to create bright vertical lines across the right half of the display or render the screen unusable. Users reported hearing audible cracks while simply opening the folding mechanism.
In one case documented in Australia, an owner said their device broke after roughly six hours and fewer than 20 folds, despite showing no signs of surface scratches or external debris. The customer noted that an Apple Store technician replaced the damaged unit on the spot with a new device, according to The Verge. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the display issues.
Crowds and swift store sellouts
The hardware concerns followed intense demand at Apple stores on launch day. Crowds formed before dawn in New York, Chicago, Dallas and other major metropolitan areas, the New York Post reported. Walk-in inventory vanished rapidly at several flagship locations.
At Apple’s Fifth Avenue store in New York City, a massive queue stretched outside before dawn, with some fans waiting as long as 18 hours. By mid-morning, employees announced that all walk-in inventory had been exhausted, leaving remaining stock reserved solely for customers with prior pickup appointments, according to social media reports cited by the Post.
Similar shortages unfolded nationwide. Stores in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, and Orlando, Florida, cut off walk-in purchases shortly after opening doors, while security guards turned away campers in Denver until designated morning hours, the New York Post reported. Several buyers expressed frustration online over suspected resellers purchasing multiple units at once.
A costly jump into foldables
The iPhone Duo represents Apple’s long-awaited entrance into the foldable market, competing directly with rival devices such as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series and Google’s Pixel Fold line, Gizmodo reported. Apple’s design weighs 254 grams and includes a 5.4-inch outer cover screen alongside the larger folding interior panel.
The phone also incorporates Apple’s first dual-battery system, split-screen multitasking capabilities, and a nano-texture coating designed to cut down on reflections and the visible center crease, according to reports from Fox News and Gizmodo. Storage configurations reach up to two terabytes, with retail prices hovering around $2,000.
It remains unclear how widespread the initial screen fractures are or whether Apple plans to issue guidance regarding the hinge assembly. In the meantime, prospective buyers facing backorders at physical stores may see delivery estimates stretch into December.
