Apple’s first foldable smartphone, the iPhone Duo, is facing early durability concerns after some buyers reported cracked inner displays within hours of receiving their devices. The reports came on October 23, 2026, when the smartphone was launched for sale in markets like China and Australia. The damage reportedly was on the middle fold line near the hinge, casting doubts on how durable the foldable screen is.
The cause of the reported damage remains unclear, and it is too early to establish whether the incidents point to a design flaw or a limited batch of defective units. Apple has reportedly already replaced the devices for early customers, and pictures spread around the web show the same kind of damage in other units.
Midnight_Slump, who posted on Reddit and was cited by Android Authority, was one of the detailed accounts and claimed that their had a cracked inner display effect after about six hours of use. The user said they had only unfolded the device less than 20 times until they saw something in the vicinity of the hinge was broken.
In their Reddit post, the buyer said that he felt something under the screen when he opened the phone, and there was a sound of cracking. It is said that the display got separated along the crease in the middle. The user went to an Apple Store later and got his device replaced.
Another Reddit user, Bitter_Offer7123, shared images reportedly collected from Chinese online communities. In the images there was damage in a comparable section of the foldable display, which further raised concerns that there may be a recurring issue.
The incidents have led to speculations that the hinge and display crease of the might be a weak point. However, reports do not clarify either the number of devices involved or if these are the same cause or causes.
Early reports from China and Australia surfaced as the device began reaching customers, according to Android Authority. Complaints might have appeared earlier in larger samples of buyers in other markets for this reason.
This is a change from early reviews and durability tests of the iPhone Duo. As per the initial reports, reviewers did not notice the same kind of instant screen failure that occurred. YouTubers Tim Pan and journalist Joanna Stern also made extensive folding tests, finding that signs of wear appeared after repeated use but that there has been no report of the screen breaking during the tests due to crease, according to Android Authority.
has reportedly replaced devices belonging to some affected customers, but there is no confirmed public explanation for the failures yet. Other reports here mention that the company will send damaged parts to its engineering teams for inspection.
