Iphone Duo Owners Report Hinge Cracks on Launch Day
WHO:
Mashable - Owners of iPhone Duo devices reported cracked screens.
MacRumors - An iPhone Duo owner in Australia reported that his device’s display cracked.
MacRumors - Apple replaced the owner’s broken device at an Apple Store.
MacRumors - Reviewers who received iPhone Duo devices early reported no screen problems during folding tests.
WHAT:
9to5Mac - Apple published an official iPhone Duo repair manual with step-by-step instructions for replacing individual components, detailed internal diagrams, and lists of replacement parts and required tools.
9to5Mac - Apple’s repair materials cover troubleshooting software and hardware issues, including hinge problems, Touch ID, and the display.
9to5Mac - Apple’s Self Service Repair Store did not yet offer iPhone Duo replacement parts.
Mashable - Reports described iPhone Duo displays cracking along the hinge.
MacRumors - Photos shared on Reddit and the MacRumors forums showed display faults, almost all along the hinge; most produced a line of bright pixels across one side of the screen.
MacRumors - The Australian owner said the screen broke along the hinge after the device had been opened fewer than 20 times.
MacRumors - Images showed broken displays on demo devices in China; the backstory for most images was unknown, and user damage was identified as a possibility.
MacRumors - The extent of the issue and whether complaints would increase were unknown.
MacRumors - Hinge failures from normal use should be covered by the one-year warranty; customers also had two weeks to return the device.
WHERE:
MacRumors - The reporting owner was in Australia and visited an Apple Store.
MacRumors - Broken demo-device displays were reported in China; the iPhone Duo launched there hours before the U.S.
WHEN:
MacRumors - The Australian owner said he had owned the device for about six hours when it cracked.
MacRumors - The owner said he had opened the device fewer than 20 times before the screen broke.
MacRumors - Customers had two weeks to return their devices; the warranty period was one year.
WHY:
MacRumors - The cause of the reported cracks was not established; user damage might account for some broken demo devices.
HOW:
9to5Mac - Apple advised users and technicians to read the entire repair manual and proceed only if comfortable following its instructions; separate safety guides explain precautions, tools, and steps for repairs involving broken glass and battery replacement.
MacRumors - The owner said he felt something beneath the screen around the internal hinge while opening the device, then heard an audible crack as he continued opening it.
MacRumors - The owner reported no marks or damage on the inner-screen surface or external hinge to suggest that anything had been caught or damaged.
MacRumors - Apple was likely collecting defective devices to investigate points of failure, with research potentially informing manufacturing improvements.
(UPDATED October 24, 2026 09:59 UTC)
Reports of cracked screens are emerging among owners of Apple’s new iPhone Duo, with damage often appearing along the folding hinge. One owner in Australia said the display cracked after the phone had been open fewer than 20 times, despite no visible damage to the screen or hinge. Apple replaced the device at an Apple Store. Photos also showed broken demo phones in China, though user damage may explain some cases, and the cause remains unclear. Reviewers who received phones early reported no problems during folding tests, so the scale of the issue is not yet known. Apple has published a detailed repair manual covering components, tools, troubleshooting, and repairs for the hinge, Touch ID, and display. Replacement parts were not yet available through Apple’s Self Service Repair Store. Normal-use hinge failures should be covered by the one-year warranty.
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(UPDATED October 23, 2026 23:15 UTC)
Reports of cracked displays are emerging among owners of Apple’s iPhone Duo, with many faults appearing along the folding hinge. Photos shared online show bright lines of pixels across one side of affected screens, though the cause and scale of the problem remain unclear. In Australia, one owner said the display cracked after he had owned the device for about six hours and opened it fewer than 20 times. He felt something under the screen near the hinge, then heard a crack while opening it; he reported no visible damage. Apple replaced his phone at a store. Images also show broken demo units in China, but some may have been damaged by users. Early reviewers reported no problems during folding tests. Hinge failures from normal use should be covered by the one-year warranty, and customers have two weeks to return the device.