Some people who bought Apple’s first foldable iPhone in the past week say the inner screen has cracked along the hinge line, in a few cases within hours. Apple has confirmed there is a problem with a small number of units and says owners should get a replacement through AppleCare.
The iPhone Duo went on sale on 23 October in the first batch of countries, and 28 more markets were due to get it on 30 October. Owners say the hinge feels stiff partway open, then something gives with an audible crack and a bright streak or dead pixels appear along the fold. Apple has not announced a recall or a repair programme.
Apple’s statement, given to CBS News, reads: “We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.” One Texas owner told the broadcaster his phone was swapped in about 30 minutes at an Apple Store. Another buyer said her replacement is backordered, so she is without a phone for now.
A memo to the stores
A MacRumors report says Apple has also sent Apple Stores and authorised service providers a memo on diagnosing the fault. The guidance is short: check the phone, then fix or swap it the way service staff normally would. According to the same report, Apple says most units are not affected and that the ones that are tend to show the damage soon after first use.
Apple has not said what causes it. Repair site iFixit has said a defective hinge is the likely cause, and AppleInsider says teardowns have turned up a possible suspect, a flat hinge part that breaks in two near the middle of the screen, though nobody has confirmed it causes the cracks. That outlet also asked staff at 20 Apple Stores and was told only four affected phones had come back as of 26 October, a count it said it would keep updating.
The supplier says it is not to blame
South Korean component maker Fine M-Tec, which makes hinge plates for foldable screens, put out a statement on 26 October saying defects in its parts did not cause quality issues in reported products. It did not name Apple or the Duo, and warned that it may take legal action over claims about its components that have not been checked.
A separate claim is weaker. Chinese outlet Jiemian News quoted an unnamed Foxconn worker saying Apple eased quality inspection to get more phones into stores before the holidays, as GSMArena summarised it. The same worker reportedly said the quality standards themselves had not changed, and Apple has not commented on the claim.
Samsung’s ads
Samsung has started mocking the problem. Gizmochina reports that its social accounts in several countries, among them Canada, Malaysia and Australia, are running pictures of everyday scenes cut by a glowing line that mimics the Duo’s damage, and the ads stress that Samsung has sold foldables since 2019.
The Duo starts at $1,999 for 256GB, according to Apple’s launch announcement. Anyone who already owns one and sees resistance or noise when opening it should book an AppleCare appointment rather than wait for an official programme.
