Key takeaways
- iFixit tore down the iPhone Duo and says cracked inner screens cluster where the gap for the crossing cable meets the central hinge support. Possible causes: a support bar that does not retract, curved hinge rails that rise too high, or a defect. iFixit says there is no clear answer.
- The Duo got a provisional repairability score of 5/10, the best iFixit has given a foldable, but the inner display and hinge are still “a bear to repair.” Apple has not commented on the cracks.
- My view: Apple warned us on day one with support pages for a noisy, loose or broken hinge, and still sold the phone. Now it has to stop staying silent.
Since the iPhone Duo went on sale on October 23, owners have reported the same thing: a crunch while folding or unfolding, then a crack along the center of the inner screen and a row of bright pixels that stays on. 9to5Mac counted about ten unique cases in three days, mostly on Reddit, where owners already have a “crackgate” megathread. Some units broke during the first setup.
Now iFixit has torn the phone down. Using CT scans, teardown footage and Apple’s patents, it built a 3D model of the hinge and found that the damage clusters where the gap for the crossing flex cable meets the central hinge support. Its leads: a central support bar that may not retract when the phone closes and presses on the display, curved hinge rails that rise above the plates during folding, or several edges meeting in one spot and concentrating stress. It could also be a manufacturing defect, or a wiring problem. iFixit says it has no clear answer.
The rest of the teardown is mixed. iFixit gave the Duo a provisional 5/10 for repairability, the highest it has ever given a foldable. The Galaxy Z Fold8 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold got 4/10. Its two batteries come out with a small electrical charge, and the outer display is easy to remove. But the inner display and hinge are, in iFixit’s words, “going to be a bear to repair.” Apple has not commented.
| What iFixit checked | Result |
|---|---|
| Where screens crack | Where the cable gap meets the central hinge support |
| Possible causes | Support bar not retracting, hinge rails rising, stress point, defect or wiring |
| Repairability | 5/10 (provisional), Galaxy Z Fold8 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold: 4/10 |
| Batteries | Two cells, 11.6 Wh and 7.5 Wh, released with an electrical charge |
| Dust test | Less dust in the hinge than Samsung and Google, “not ideal for beach use” |
| Apple response | None |
In this article: Apple warned us, and that is the problem · Less dust than Samsung? That does not make it a normal phone · A prototype you must protect from your own fingernail · 5/10: praise for Apple, not for you · Apple Store replaces it. The carrier says you dropped it · Ten cases in three days is a lot · Cancelled pre-orders? Still speculation · Apple, do not stay silent · FAQ
Apple warned us, and that is the problem
On launch day I guessed that one of the more than 100 hinge parts came loose and damaged the display. I based that on what Apple itself published. On the same day the Duo went on sale, Apple released support documents about what to do if the phone makes an unexpected noise when opening or closing, has a loose hinge, or a bent or broken hinge. Now iFixit describes exactly that: a crunch, and then the screen breaks near a hinge part.
It surprises me a lot. They knew they could have a problem with the hinge, and they still took the risk and put the phone on sale. For me, it only shows that Apple insured itself, so nobody can come after them, and they are ready to say: “Hey, but we warned you.” And other sites even told buyers that AppleCare+ is almost a must, or you pay $999 for a new inner display. So it was all known in advance. They could have delayed production and sales. They didn’t. They went for the risk, and they warned us, all of us, that now it is up to us: buy the first Duo, or wait for a better one.
But one thing I know for sure: with what they said about the hinge, they messed it up themselves. Maybe there will be some better development later. But I still have a lot of questions that Apple has not answered.
Less dust than Samsung? That does not make it a normal phone
iFixit says less dust got into the Duo’s hinge than into the Galaxy Z Fold8 or the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. JerryRigEverything showed that dust in the hinge stopped the phone from closing. The tests are different: one measured how much dust gets in, the other showed what a little dust can do.
But for me, less dust in the hinge does not prove that the Duo is a normal phone you can handle like a regular iPhone, one you are not afraid to put in your pocket or take to the beach. Even iFixit says it is “not ideal for beach use.”
A prototype you must protect from your own fingernail
In my opinion, it is more like some prototype, one that a person pays a lot of money for and then has to worry about and protect so much that nothing damages it. In JerryRigEverything’s test, the inner display scratched at level two, and fingernails left deeper marks. So you should not even use a fingernail on the inner screen, or you hurt it. That makes no sense to me at all. There is a lot that is strange about the Duo, even if it looks mega beautiful.
5/10: praise for Apple, not for you
I think everyone has to find at least something good in the Duo by now, because everyone who follows it already says: my God, this phone has so many compromises and it is so fragile. So we have to find something good.
But what iFixit found does not help the normal user. The parts that come out easily are the batteries and the outer display. The parts that break, the inner screen and the hinge, are the hardest to fix. It is more praise for Apple itself. Nobody will repair this at home anyway, so I don’t see any miracle here.
Apple Store replaces it. The carrier says you dropped it
9to5Mac reports that most owners who went to an Apple Store got a new phone. Carrier customers had less luck, and one was told the phone must have been dropped and that he would have to pay for the repair.
So here we have two sides. The greed of carriers, who don’t want to believe customers and handle complaints as they should, and put the blame on a customer who only opened his phone and found out that, without doing anything to it, the display is gone. And then there is Apple, which, for God’s sake, does not even come out and say what the miracle problem is, why the display just breaks when you open the phone and you are left with a thick phone with one outer display.
Ten cases in three days is a lot
Fans say it is only a small number of units. I say the opposite. The one thing people bought this phone for, the inner screen, breaks, and it is only three days. What will it be in a month, if the hinge is not that good? We know basically nothing: no statement on how many openings it lasts, and whether it was just one batch with a defect, or whether it waits for everyone who bought a Duo after some time.
It is only a few days on sale, and more and more people are spreading the same story about the display on social networks. Even if not many units are damaged yet, if this trend continues, I think it will destroy the reputation of the folding iPhone.
Cancelled pre-orders? Still speculation
One MacRumors reader wrote that he canceled his order and will wait for a later model. I predicted cancellations, but it is too early to talk about it. Maybe only a few will cancel, and we are not even sure that this person really had a pre-order. We only speculate, and everyone sees it his own way. I see it this way: the more news like this comes out, the more orders will be canceled.
Apple, do not stay silent
If it is a bad batch, what should Apple do? Certainly not stay silent. It is already bad, the way it spreads across the internet. For God’s sake, they should already be dealing with it. At least some statement, so owners know what is happening with the phone they paid $1,999 for.
Also on Evolt News: iPhone Duo owners share Touch ID tricks · iPhone Duo jailbroken on day one
Photo: Apple.
This article is opinion.
iPhone Duo screen cracks: FAQ
Why are iPhone Duo screens cracking?
Apple has not said. iFixit found the cracks cluster where the gap for the crossing cable meets the central hinge support, and suggested a support bar that does not retract, curved hinge rails, a manufacturing defect or a wiring problem as possible causes.
How many iPhone Duo screens have cracked?
Nobody knows. 9to5Mac saw about ten unique cases in the first three days, mostly reported on Reddit.
What is the iPhone Duo repairability score?
iFixit gave the iPhone Duo a provisional 5 out of 10, the highest score it has given a foldable. The Galaxy Z Fold8 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold got 4 out of 10.
Will Apple replace a cracked iPhone Duo?
Most owners who went to an Apple Store reportedly got a replacement. Some carrier customers were told the phone was dropped. Apple has not issued a statement.
How much does an iPhone Duo inner screen repair cost?
Apple charges $999 to replace the inner display without AppleCare+, and $99 with AppleCare+.
Sources: iFixit, MacRumors, 9to5Mac, MacRumors Forums, Reddit r/iPhoneDuo, JerryRigEverything.
Our Take
iFixit points at the iPhone Duo hinge, right where Apple’s own day-one support pages hinted at trouble: noise, a loose hinge, a broken hinge. For me, Apple knew the risk, insured itself, and sold the phone anyway.
Ten cracked screens in three days may sound small to fans. To me, it is a lot. Apple, say something.
