Buyers of the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable, are reporting a hinge defect that damages the inner display, according to GSMArena. Multiple owners have posted online about the same failure, many of them on the dedicated iPhone Duo subreddit.
The reports describe a consistent sequence: the hinge becomes unusually stiff, opening the phone takes real effort, and pushing past that resistance produces a popping or cracking sound. A permanent vertical line then runs down the middle of the folding screen, with a horizontal line branching from it on the right half.
iPhone Duo hinge defect: what owners are reporting
Timing varies between users. Some had been using the phone for a few days before the damage appeared, while others saw it within hours of unboxing. The affected owners say they did not tamper with the device or use it in any unusual way, and many describe prior experience with foldable phones.
Because every report mentions resistance from the hinge before it pops, the hinge is the most likely source of the problem, GSMArena notes. The issue appears limited to a select batch: most users, including reviewers who have used the iPhone Duo far longer, have not reported it.
Replacements offered, but 1TB and 2TB stock is limited
Owners have contacted Apple directly or gone through their carriers. Apple has offered to replace the affected devices, but most users have not been able to secure a replacement because of limited availability, especially for the 1TB and 2TB variants.
A second report from PhoneArena says Apple refused to honor the iPhone Duo warranty when a display broke after just three hours of use. The two accounts point in different directions on how Apple is handling claims, and the company has not published an official statement on the cause.
