iPhone Duo Screen Cracks at the Same Spot, Apple Pressed to Clarify Warranty

Apple faces its first test on its foldable phone line. A week after the iPhone Duo began shipping to consumers, dozens of reports on social media and the Reddit forum show the device's inner screen cracking—and nearly all of them occur in the same location, around the center fold of the display. The phenomenon raises serious questions about the durability of the first-generation design, especially since the device costs 1,999 US dollars.

Damage uploaded by users shows a bright white band extending from a point near the hinge, accompanied by lines of dead pixels. One owner said they had used the device for only six hours when they felt a snag in the hinge while opening the screen, shortly before the damage appeared. Notably, Apple is said to have immediately replaced the unit with a new one at a retail store, a step that dampened initial anger but has not answered the root cause.

An analysis by iFixit, which disassembled the device to trace the cause, points to structural factors. According to iFixit, the crack is not located exactly along the display cable route that passes through the hinge, but slightly lower—at the meeting point of several edges that changes how the thin screen is supported when folded. iFixit suspects the center support bar beneath the fold does not descend deep enough, creating a “small pressure point” in the area reported damaged.

Apple, in a written statement to 9to5Mac, acknowledged a problem with the inner screen in a “very small number” of iPhone Duo units. The company stressed that initial user response has been very positive and that developers are enthusiastic about updating apps to take advantage of the device's form. Apple advised owners experiencing issues to contact AppleCare for a replacement. However, the exact number of affected devices has not been disclosed, and the independence of the “small number” claim remains in question amid the flood of online reports.

“Apple says customers with the problem should request a replacement, and that is the right first step. At 1,999 dollars, the Duo is positioned as a premium alternative, and how Apple handles this first-generation issue will shape buyer trust in this category far beyond its own sales,” Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of devices at IDC, told Yahoo.

Jeronimo added that Apple's loyal customer base and retail network make in-store replacements possible. However, with the launch in 28 new markets on October 30, he believes Apple needs to clarify its warranty position soon. Without that clarity, consumer concerns could spread to markets that have not yet received the device, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, which is the backbone of global foldable phone sales.

The foldable screen problem is hardly new. Samsung's first-generation Galaxy Fold in 2019 also suffered similar cracking in a review by The Verge, which delayed its launch. The difference is that competitors have gone through years of manufacturing iteration to minimize defects, while Apple is entering the segment for the first time. The complexity of the hinge and the screen layers that must slide against each other when folded leaves very little margin for error—one misaligned component can trigger failure.

For the Indonesian market, the iPhone Duo has not officially arrived, but this dynamic remains relevant. Consumers in the country are known to be sensitive to durability issues, and the high price of foldable devices makes after-sales guarantees a primary consideration. If Apple responds slowly, that gap could be exploited by other brands that matured earlier in the foldable segment, such as Samsung and Oppo, to strengthen their position in the domestic premium market.

Going forward, attention is on whether Apple will announce a free repair program or even a limited recall, and on the results of its internal investigation into the hinge's weak point. Without transparent corrective steps, this incident could set a bad precedent for Apple's ambitions in the foldable category—and for consumer trust that form innovation is indeed worth the price.