Apple has acknowledged an inner display issue on some iPhone Duo units. “We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units,” Apple’s statement reads. “If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.”
Apple gave the statement to Bloomberg, 9to5Mac, MacRumors and The Verge on 26 October. 9to5Mac and The Verge reported that AppleCare+ is not needed for the replacement. MacRumors reported that Apple has not named a cause or a fix.
Cracks along the crease
The Straits Times, carrying Bloomberg News on 27 October, reported a “growing number of complaints” of the foldable display cracking after hours or days. Owners described a crunching sound when unfolding, then a large crack along the centre crease or a white patch on the right side. Bloomberg verified more than half a dozen customers through photos or conversations with Apple support. Tom Battle, a San Diego customer, reported that “You could feel a bump or loose piece under the display.”
HardwareZone reported on 26 October that owners are seeing cracks along the central hinge, bright white lines and dead pixels. The outlet reported that the number of affected owners is unknown.
MacRumors and The Verge reported that many cracks sit in the same place, on the lower half of the inner display along the hinge. Owners described a stuck feeling when opening and sometimes a popping noise just before the damage.
AppleInsider polled Genius Bar staff at seven stores on 24 October. None had seen devices in for broken screens, and the outlet called it “still a very small-scale issue”.
What iFixit and JerryRigEverything found
iFixit’s teardown on 25 October found that breaks cluster where the gap for the accordion flex cable meets the central hinge support. iFixit offers two theories: the centre support bar does not drop far enough as the phone closes, which creates a stress hotspot, or a curved hinge rail does not retract properly. Neither theory is proven, iFixit noted.
Its dust test sent fluorescent dust into the hinge and made it “crunchy”, though less than on the Galaxy Z Fold8 or Pixel 11 Pro Fold. The Verge and AppleInsider reported a different finding from the YouTuber CuriousHagi, whose teardown found a thinner middle hinge link snapped at a notch.
JerryRigEverything, the channel run by Zack Nelson, took apart his own Duo in the video above. That unit had already failed his durability test. Nelson found that Samsung makes the inner screen, a 10-layer stack, and in his view the failures are “definitely not on Samsung’s shoulders”. He blames Apple’s hinge.
His first theory is that one hinge component, nicknamed the “Pixel Pincher 9000”, breaks or comes loose and pokes into the screen from behind. Nelson acknowledges in the video that he has not taken apart a spontaneously broken phone to be sure. His second theory is dust: sand and dirt got into the hinge and behind the inner screen in his test, and he thinks each black dot and dead pixel line on his unit was likely a grain of sand. In his view, the IP68 rating is “a bit misleading” for everyday life, and he sees the hinge part and the dust as “two separate but complementary problems”.
Both theories are Nelson’s view. iFixit has not backed his specific hinge part. MacRumors covered his earlier durability test on 24 October, which found dust in the hinge despite the IP68 rating and a bend test that left a permanent green line before the screen stopped responding.
Singapore prices and sale date
The iPhone Duo has been on sale in Singapore since 23 October, HardwareZone reported, after pre-orders opened on 16 October. Apple’s Singapore online store prices it from S$3,099 to S$4,899: S$3,099 for 256GB, S$3,399 for 512GB, S$3,999 for 1TB and S$4,899 for 2TB. The prices are the same for Star White and Night Sky, and Apple limits each customer to two.
Repair costs and AppleCare+
HardwareZone reported Apple Singapore’s estimated service fees for the Duo. Inner display damage costs S$1,549 without AppleCare+ and S$148 with it. AppleCare+ for the Duo costs S$499, HardwareZone reported. Apple Singapore sets the final fee after inspection.
Those are the fees for display damage. For the cracking issue, Apple’s statement points owners to AppleCare for a replacement, and 9to5Mac reported that AppleCare+ is not required. Customers who bought through a carrier should contact AppleCare directly, not the carrier, The Verge and 9to5Mac reported.
HardwareZone also reported that several customers have received replacement devices.
