Just hours after Apple made its first foldable phone available to the public, some buyers are sharing reports of serious hardware problems. People who got their hands on the iPhone Duo right on launch day are posting photos of internal screens breaking down the middle. Most of these broken displays show a physical split or a thick line of dead pixels running along the fold. This is quickly raising concerns about the durability of the new hinge design.
Buyers report cracking sounds and dead pixels near the hinge
According to complaints online, the damage shows up fast and without warning. One buyer in Australia said his phone broke after only six hours of use. He opened the device fewer than 20 times before feeling a weird shift under the screen. As he kept unfolding it, he heard a loud snap. The display split right along the fold line, leaving no other visible marks to suggest he dropped or misused the phone.
Similar photos have popped up from users in China. In those cases, it is harder to tell if the broken devices were retail models or store display units that got handled rough by hundreds of people.
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Reviewers who tested the phone early did not mention these failures, though they represent a tiny sample size. Apple has not released a public statement about the situation yet.
Apple replaces broken units as future repair costs remain high
Users who took their damaged screens to retail locations got immediate replacement devices. Apple is likely taking these broken units back to its labs to figure out what went wrong. If this turns out to be a widespread factory defect, the company might need to tweak its production process.
Right now, standard iPhone warranties cover these early screen failures. Buyers also have a 14 day return window if they decide they no longer want the device.
However, fixing a broken internal screen without warranty coverage costs $999. This massive price tag makes long term durability a big priority for anyone whose pre-orders finally shipped this week.
The foldable phone market always has growing pains. Now Apple is facing the same design hurdles that challenged early Android foldables years ago. How the company handles these first hardware failures will likely shape public trust in its folding tech moving forward. If you bought one, keep a close eye on your screen over the next few weeks. Visit a retail store right away if you hear any weird sounds near the hinge.
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