Some iPhone Duos are breaking just hours after purchase

Apple’s first foldable iPhone only went on sale on October 23, but some buyers are already reporting damaged inner displays. Several owners say their screens failed during setup or after only a few hours, in some cases as they opened the phone.

That is a disappointing start for a device Apple has promoted as being built to last. The damage is appearing on the larger inner screen, the main attraction of a foldable phone.

Multiple owners have shared their experiences in original Reddit posts, each accompanied by a photo.

One of the clearest comes from Midnight_Slump in Australia. The owner says the screen cracked along the hinge after about six hours and fewer than 20 openings. They felt something beneath the display while unfolding it, then heard a crack.

A separate owner, leftyhyzer16 in Dallas, says the screen cracked before setup was finished. The hinge became tight after roughly four folds, and the owner describes pushing past that resistance before hearing a loud pop.

Reddit user schemastic describes a third case less than seven hours after collecting the phone. The owner says they felt an impact when the device was fully opened and mentions using a folio case, while being unsure whether it had snagged.

A fourth post, from Unique_Parsnip_57, describes cracking, discoloration and a black line around the crease of a six-hour-old iPhone Duo.

A Reddit poster at an Apple Store in Toronto also says they saw another customer’s iPhone Duo break before setup was finished. Other iPhone Duo owners have reported similar display failures on social media in some cases just hours after getting their phones. 

It is too early to know how common these failures are or whether they share a cause. Still, multiple owners describing damaged screens within hours of getting their phones is enough to raise concerns.

The hinge has a rough time in JerryRigEverything’s durability test, too. Zack Nelson covers the phone in a large amount of sand and dirt, then opens and closes it. The hinge eventually jams badly enough that the iPhone Duo no longer closes all the way.

Of course, this is far harsher treatment than normal use. Even so, it is not reassuring for a phone Apple rates IP68. How well would that hinge cope with sand from a day at the beach, or an accidental drop in the dirt? The video does not answer that, but it gives buyers a fair reason to wonder.

IP68 is based on controlled lab tests, which Nelson is not recreating here. Apple also tells owners in its handling guide to keep sand and grit away from the hinge and check it is clean before opening the phone.

The bend test also exposes a difference between the two foldables. After Nelson bends the iPhone Duo backwards, green lines appear on the inner display, which eventually stops responding to touch.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8 fared better in his earlier test. Its frame flexed and the back glass briefly lifted, but the inner display kept working. Samsung’s phone handled the bend test better, with its inner display still working afterwards.

These owners are describing hours of use, not years of wear. The iPhone Duo may be Apple’s first foldable, but buyers should still be able to expect its inner display to survive the setup process.

Apple has made durability part of its pitch for the iPhone Duo. A screen that breaks on the first day is a long way from what buyers will have had in mind.