Apple Replaces iPhone Duo Units With Cracked Inner Screens

Apple acknowledged on Monday that some iPhone Duo foldables have cracked inner screens near the hinge and says it is replacing damaged units. The company told The Verge that early response to the Duo was "incredibly positive" and that the issue affects a "small number" of units. The phone launched on October 23 at $1,999 in the US and Rs 2,99,900 in India, and it expands to 28 more countries on October 30. Apple has not disclosed the number of affected units or the cause.

Shahram Mokhtari, lead teardown technician at iFixit, told The Verge that the likely cause is along the hinge. He said the flexible inner screen can press against part of the hinge, and the center support bar may not drop far enough while the screen folds, creating a stress hot spot. The iFixit teardown shows the hinge transition with several edges that could be at fault. Mokhtari called the inner screen "extremely sensitive" and said poking its edges with a sharp tool can break it.

Reports have come from buyers in Australia, the United States, Canada, China, and India. A Melbourne buyer reported the screen broke after roughly six hours and under 20 folds, with no visible damage beforehand. A US owner said the hinge felt tight and the screen cracked after about four folds during setup. The Times of India reported a Dallas owner also felt a tight hinge after about four folds and heard a loud pop before setup was complete. The damage often shows as a vertical crack along the crease and a bright strip of dead pixels on the right half.

If Apple decides a crack is a manufacturing defect, the one-year limited warranty covers a replacement for free. Without AppleCare+, the inner folding display replacement costs $999; with AppleCare+, it costs $99. Memeburn reported that the outer display costs $379 and the plastic cover layer on the folding screen costs $49. In the US, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss for the Duo costs $199.99 annually, $19.99 monthly, or a $399 one-time payment. Apple says the hinge contains over 100 parts, and repair guidance says no software or diagnostic test can fix it; technicians replace the entire inner display assembly.

A phone bought on October 23 can be returned through November 6 under Apple’s standard 14-day return window. Most markets also have until December 22 to add AppleCare+, within 60 days of purchase, according to Apple’s support page. Apple has not issued a recall. Mokhtari told The Verge that if the same kind of failure still appears three months from now, it could lead to a recall. Apple’s support page covers hinge trouble such as unexpected noises, a loose hinge, and a phone that will not close fully.

Tech journalist Joanna Stern folded a Duo more than 32,000 times over four nights without cracking, which Memeburn says is about 320 days of heavy use at 100 folds a day. Memeburn interprets that gap as a sign of an early batch defect, perhaps a hinge part fitted too tightly, instead of a design that fails after extended use, but only Apple can confirm that. The Times of India reported that initial orders were gone almost immediately and current estimates for delivery extend to late January 2027.