Early user reports of iPhone Duo mishaps see cracked screens and faulty pixels

Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, has barely reached customers, but reports of cracked inner displays are already appearing online. Worse, some owners claim their devices broke after only a handful of folds, raising questions about the durability of the iPhone Duo’s hinge and flexible screen.

According to MacRumors and 9to5Mac, several owners have reported cracks appearing along the inner display’s central hinge. They added that this often comes with bright white lines or sections of malfunctioning pixels.

Others reported their iPhone Duo’s case cracking during initial setup, with the damage happening around the same section of the folding screen, although the number of affected devices remains unknown.

The iPhone Duo’s hinge is one suspected failure point

With the reported failures appearing concentrated near the transition between the hinge’s central support and the opening for a flexible cable connecting both halves of the phone, iFixit identified a potential stress point near the centre of the folding mechanism. They suggest the hinge support component might not retract properly when the phone closes, which could put pressure on the flexible OLED panel and damage its internal connections.

Another potential weakness iFixit found was the iPhone Duo’s susceptibility to fine dust entering the hinge, despite its IP68 dust-and-water-resistance rating. While similar tests showed less dust entering the iPhone Duo than Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8 and Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold, particles still reached the moving components.

It’s repairable, but…

The inner folding display and hinge remain difficult to replace. Unfortunately, that also makes it expensive.

For Singapore owners, the potential repair costs are particularly painful.

As HardwareZone previously reported, replacing the damaged inner display costs an estimated S$1,549 without AppleCare+, compared with S$148 under Apple’s protection plan.

Other accidental-damage repairs can cost up to S$2,319 without coverage.

AppleCare+ for the iPhone Duo costs S$499.

If it happens to mine, what’s my recourse?

There is some reassurance for affected owners. Several customers have reportedly received replacement devices from Apple, and genuine manufacturing defects should fall under the standard warranty.

Still, the early failures highlight the challenges of foldable smartphone design. Apple has made its first foldable easier to repair than competing models, but the mechanism behind its biggest selling point also seems to be its greatest vulnerability.