Some iPhone Duo Screens Are Cracking Within Hours Of Use: Is The Hinge To Blame?

Apple's first foldable iPhone has barely reached customers, but some early users are already reporting cracked inner displays, with the damage appearing along the hinge. And that isn’t really what you expect when you spend SO much money on a smartphone. Read on to know what’s happening.

iPhone Duo Screen Cracks Reported By Users

An iPhone Duo owner in Australia said in a Reddit post that the phone's display cracked just six hours after purchase. According to the user, they had opened the device fewer than 20 times when they felt something around the internal hinge and heard a crack as they unfolded the phone.

The owner claimed there were no visible marks on the inner display or the external hinge to suggest that anything had become trapped or damaged the device.

They visited an Apple Store, where the company reportedly replaced the phone immediately. The Reddit user said they were happy with how Apple handled the situation, but disappointed to spend their Friday night at the Apple Store.

“I hadn’t even finished signing into all my apps yet. Day zero, six hours of ownership, and already on my second phone,” the user added.

And this wasn’t just a one-off incident. A report by Android Authority highlighted other images of damaged iPhone Duo displays shared online, including photos from Chinese communities. Several of these images appear to show cracks or display damage around the hinge, although the circumstances behind most of the incidents remain unclear.

Reddit user Bitter_Offer7123 reportedly collected images of damaged devices from Chinese online communities. While the damage appears in a similar area across several images, it is not known whether the phones suffered from the same issue or whether any were damaged through accidental handling.

Is The iPhone Duo Hinge To Blame?

The fact that several reported cases show damage around the central fold has raised questions about the durability of the iPhone Duo's hinge and inner display. However, it is too early to conclude that the phone has a design or manufacturing defect. The reports do not establish how widespread the issue is, and the circumstances behind several cases remain unknown.

There is also some evidence that offers a different perspective. Android Authority reported that YouTubers Tim Pan and Joanna Stern put the iPhone Duo through repeated folding tests. While the display and hinge showed signs of wear after thousands of folds, neither test resulted in a cracked screen.

Of course, these tests involved a limited number of devices and cannot rule out problems affecting individual units. They do, however, show why the online reports alone are not enough to conclude that all iPhone Duo devices are at risk.

Apple has not publicly confirmed a widespread display or hinge issue based on the reports cited here. The company may be able to investigate returned devices to determine what caused the damage, but there is no confirmed explanation at this point.