iPhone Duo Screen Cracks: Apple Confirms Issue, Offers AppleCare Replacements

The iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone, is at the center of a growing number of owner reports about cracked inner displays, and Apple has now confirmed the issue is real. The $1,999 foldable launched on October 23, and within weeks, photos of cracked screens began circulating from the US, Australia, and China.

What owners are reporting
Multiple iPhone Duo owners describe a stuck or popping sensation near the hinge just before a bright line of pixels appears across the lower half of the inner display. Some say the damage showed up after fewer than 20 folds, well within normal daily use.

Apple's response
Apple told MacRumors it is "aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units" and is directing affected owners to contact AppleCare for a replacement. The company has not said what is causing the cracks or whether a permanent fix is coming.

A possible hinge-area cause
Apple has not published a root cause, but an iFixit teardown pointed to the hinge area, where a center support bar is designed to retract out of the way as the iPhone Duo folds and unfolds. If that bar does not retract fully, it could put repeated stress on the same spot on the inner display.

Replacements are available, but limited
Some affected owners have already received in-store replacements. Others report longer waits because of limited stock of the inner display assembly, which is a far more complex part to source than a standard phone screen.

Hard to measure how widespread it is
Reports are spread across Reddit, X, and the MacRumors forums, but the exact number of affected units is unclear. Some of the images shared online also appear to be AI-generated, which makes it harder to judge how common the real problem actually is. For now, the issue looks limited to a subset of early units rather than the entire production run, though Apple has not published any figures to confirm that.

What to do if your iPhone Duo is affected
Owners who notice a stuck feeling, popping sound, or visible line of pixels on the inner display should stop folding the phone and contact AppleCare rather than continuing to use it normally, since continued folding could worsen existing damage.

Protect your iPhone Duo with a Komodoty case
While Apple works through the display issue, a well-fitted case remains one of the simplest ways to protect the iPhone Duo's exterior and hinge area from everyday bumps. Komodoty makes slim cases for Apple phones in materials like aramid fiber, slim wood with a Kevlar core, and Alcantara, with precise cutouts and wireless charging support built in. See the fitted options in the Komodoty iPhone cases collection.