Apple’s First Foldable Problem: iPhone Duo Replacements Crack
Owners of Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, say replacement units are cracking too. Reddit users describe damaged inner displays within days of swapping phones. Apple has acknowledged the problem but has not said what causes it or whether newer batches differ.
Apple's first foldable problem is not going away: owners of the iPhone Duo, which starts at $2,000, say replacement phones are developing the same cracked inner displays as the originals, just over three weeks after launch.
The reports come from Reddit users. They are individual accounts, and no reliable data shows how many owners are affected.
Replacements failing within days
One Reddit user said a replacement iPhone Duo developed the same display fault as the original in less than 24 hours. Both phones were damaged in the bottom-right corner of the inner display, with a vertical line of defective pixels and bubbling along the crease.
The owner said they were careful with the replacement. They cleaned the screen before each fold and kept anything that could scratch it away from the display.
Another user got a first replacement after noticing a bump near the hinge. Three days later, the new phone's inner display broke while being unfolded. The outer screen kept working, and the owner is weighing a refund and a switch to the iPhone 18 Pro Max.
Not just new devices
The failures are not limited to freshly swapped units. One launch-day buyer said the phone cracked after nearly three weeks without trouble. A separate Reddit post describes a white line across the inner display after three weeks.
Plenty of owners report no problems at all, according to the accounts.
What Apple has said
Complaints about cracks near the hinge surfaced within days of launch. Apple acknowledged the issue and told affected customers to contact AppleCare for a replacement. It said at the time that only a small number of devices were affected and that problems generally appeared early in a phone's life.
The newer reports complicate that picture, since some failures arrive weeks in and some hit replacements.
Two separate teardowns of the iPhone Duo raised concerns about the hinge mechanism and the pressure it may put on the flexible display. Neither established a definitive cause.
Support experiences vary
Some owners describe a smooth service process. One said Apple offered a higher-storage model as the replacement. Another called the swap relatively painless after the original cracked.
A replacement is only a fix if the new phone survives, though. It is still unclear whether the failures come from defective components, the hinge or something else, and whether Apple has changed production for newer batches.
Take the quizWhat Kind of Holiday Spender Are You? Take the Black Friday QuizStart →- 1Column: 4 Reasons to Eat Dark Chocolate, Dietitians Say
- 2Mavericks Surfers Race to California for Waves Near 50 Feet
- 3Meghan Markle Plans US Return to See Mother After Father’s Arrest
- 4NYC Medical Examiner Has Not Determined Cause of Death of Beau Rose Jessup
- 5Chrissie Swan, 52, Tears Up Over Secret Surprise While Recovering
Lifestyle7 Signs Your Social Battery Is Running Low (and Why You Keep Cancelling Plans)
Lifestyle · Food & HealthThanksgiving Food Safety: How Long Leftovers Last and the Safe Turkey Temperature
Lifestyle7 Quiet Habits of Emotionally Intelligent People, According to Psychologists
LifestylePeople Who Don’t Like Celebrating Their Birthday Often Share These 7 Traits
