Apple iPhone Duo screens crack near hinge within hours of use

Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, is facing early durability complaints after buyers reported inner screens cracking along the hinge within hours of purchase. Owners have shared photographs on Reddit and other platforms showing similar damage patterns, including a vertical line at the fold and defective pixels spreading toward the right side of the display.

Some users said the problem appeared after only a few hours of use, while others experienced it before finishing device setup. One Australian buyer reported his phone broke after roughly six hours and fewer than twenty openings while showing it to a friend.

“I heard an audible crack, and the screen broke right along the hinge.”

The Australian owner described feeling something near the internal hinge underneath the screen before hearing an audible crack as he continued opening the device. He stated there were no marks or damage on the inner screen surface or external hinge to suggest anything had been caught or damaged.

The Apple Store replaced his handset with a brand-new unit on the spot, but the replacement does not explain why the screen broke. Tech site 9to5Mac says it has identified around ten similar incidents with practically identical damage.

Apple quietly published support documentation on October 23 covering hinge faults, including devices that will not fully open or close, unexpected mechanical noises, loose hinges, and physical damage affecting operation. According to 9to5Mac, Apple is directing affected customers to hardware inspection rather than software troubleshooting.

The failures raise questions about whether a particular production batch or component supplier is at fault and how many warranty replacements are being processed locally. An independent durability test has also exposed potential weaknesses in both the hinge and the folding display.