Apple’s first foldable iPhone has been available for just over three weeks, and while there’s plenty to like, some owners are having a frustrating experience. Reports of cracked inner displays started appearing shortly after launch, and although Apple acknowledged the problem and began offering replacements, new complaints suggest the issue hasn’t completely gone away.
More concerning, some owners are now reporting similar problems with their replacement devices. And when you’re spending at least $2,000 on a foldable, worrying about whether its screen will survive everyday use is hardly reassuring.
Even replacement iPhone Duos are developing cracks
One of the more concerning reports comes from a Reddit user who claims their replacement iPhone Duo developed the exact same display problem as their original device in less than 24 hours. Both phones developed damage in the bottom-right corner of the inner display, accompanied by a vertical line of defective pixels and bubbling along the crease. The owner says they were particularly careful with the replacement, regularly cleaning the display before folding it and making sure nothing could damage the screen. Unfortunately, that apparently wasn’t enough.
And they’re not alone. Another Reddit user reported getting their first iPhone Duo replaced after noticing a bump near the hinge. However, just three days later, the replacement’s inner display broke while they were unfolding it. The outer screen continued working, but the experience left them considering a refund and switching to the iPhone 18 Pro Max instead. What’s interesting is that these problems aren’t necessarily limited to newly purchased devices. One launch-day buyer reported that their phone developed a crack after nearly three weeks of trouble-free use. Another Reddit post describes a similar failure after three weeks, with a white line appearing across the inner display.
Of course, these are individual experiences, and no reliable information shows how many iPhone Duo owners are affected. Plenty of people are also enjoying their foldables without any problems. However, the continuing complaints, particularly those involving replacement devices, suggest that Apple still has some questions to answer.
Apple has acknowledged the problem, but what’s causing it?
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the iPhone Duo’s display troubles. As we previously reported, complaints about cracks appearing near the hinge started surfacing within days of the phone’s launch. Apple subsequently acknowledged the issue and advised affected customers to contact AppleCare for a replacement. At the time, the company maintained that only a small number of devices were affected and that the problems generally appeared early in their lifespan.
However, the latest reports complicate things. Some owners are experiencing failures weeks after purchasing their phones, while others are running into the same problem even after receiving replacements. Questions also remain about what exactly is causing these cracks. As we covered earlier, two separate iPhone Duo teardowns raised concerns about the hinge mechanism and the pressure it could be placing on the flexible display. Neither investigation, however, established a definitive cause.
Still, there is some encouraging news for affected customers. Several Reddit users have reported positive experiences with Apple’s support team. One owner claims Apple offered them a higher-storage model as a replacement, while another described a relatively smooth replacement process after their original device developed a crack. Still, getting a replacement is only half the battle if there’s a possibility of running into the same problem again. For now, we don’t know whether these failures stem from defective components, a hinge issue, or something else entirely. We also don’t know whether Apple has made any changes to newer production batches to address the complaints.
And that’s probably the biggest concern for anyone considering buying the iPhone Duo. Apple’s first foldable is exciting, but at $2,000, you should be able to enjoy it without constantly worrying about damaging the display just by opening and closing your phone. Until Apple provides more clarity about what’s going wrong, waiting to see how the situation develops might not be such a bad idea.
