iPhone Duo Cracks Are Real, and Apple’s ‘Small Number’ May Not Be So Small

THE Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman observed that reports of iPhone Duo cracked screens came from real customers during normal use, and Apple’s claim that only a “small number” of units suffering from this problem could very well mean thousands. And this, even if Apple presented it as being harder than Android foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

Gurman says ‘small number’ of iPhone Duo units with hinge issue could number in the thousands

You may remember our front cover of the iPhone Duo Screen cracking issue that many affected users are reporting: At first, the hinge feels unusually tight when opened, then a cracking noise follows just before a crack. Most of these reports also show a crack in the center and right side of the interior screen. Gurman, Bloomberg’s chief correspondent for Apple, says in his latest Power On newsletter that he verified some of these reports himself and could attest that the damage appeared during normal use of the phone based on evidence he saw before issuing his own report.

An iPhone Duo with a cracked interior screen and a light line coming down from the fold. | Image by Vishnu_RK via Reddit

Apple next acknowledged the problem and claimed it only affected a “small number” of units, without giving an exact figure and therefore leaving the extent of the damage up to interpretation. Gurman suspects that a batch of iPhone Duo units may have been shipped with a faulty hinge component that does not unfold properly, pressing on the screen and perforating it from underneath.

Gurman and iFixit both point at the hinge, not the screen

Gurman also pointed out that he’s noticed some influencers and video creators dismissing “crackgate” reports as user errors, AI fakes, or simply exaggerated accounts. However, he objected, saying the ones he himself had seen were from real customers with real devices that cracked during normal use. After the iFixit outage, they reported on some theories they put forward about the cause of the damage. One of them is that a central support bar may not lower all the way when the phone closes and the other is that the curved guide rails could move up into the panel. Both would cause pressure on the screen from below, near where the cracks appear. However, these are still theories and not a confirmed diagnosis. Regardless, Gurman and iFixit point out that it’s the hinge that’s the problem, not the display panel. Apple hasn’t officially named a cause, but based on these two reports, a new Duo owner with a hinge that suddenly seems stiff should probably consider this a warning sign.

THE iPhone Duo The problems so far have been different from those Galaxy Z-fold 8 owners reported on the phone’s launch. One of them was that the inner corners of the screen sank slightly when pressed, to which Samsung said it was a built-in cushioning structure and not a defect. The Duo’s hinge issues obviously don’t affect the Fold 8 and Pixel 11 Pro Fold owners since the suspected fault lies in the Duo’s own hinge.

If you are one of those who are indeed experiencing a hinge issue with your Duo, note that Apple’s recommendation is to contact AppleCare for a replacement. AppleCare+, the one you have to pay for, is however not necessary for this type of repair.

What I would do if I had a hinge problem on my Duo

I was recently able to recover a iPhone Duo from an Apple Store and I haven’t had a problem with my hinge yet (knock on wood), but if I noticed the hinge suddenly felt stiff, I would contact AppleCare immediately, rather than waiting for damage to develop or the screen to break. However, I would be perfectly prepared to have to wait a bit as stock is limited and a replacement may not be available immediately.

It’s rather reassuring that Apple has responded quickly to the reports and is replacing the affected units. However, I would like to see the replacement line evolve as quickly as the answer.