iPhone Duo screen cracks: Teardowns point to the hinge

Some buyers of Apple's first foldable phone, the iPhone Duo, are finding cracks where the screen folds. Reddit posts showed units with broken inner screens on launch day, and the damage tended to sit in a similar spot along the hinge, The Verge reported.

Two teardowns now point toward the hinge as a likely area of trouble. Still, 9to5Mac said iFixit's work does not settle what is causing the failures, and Apple has not confirmed a cause.

Key facts

• Ars Technica said the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable phone, costs $2,000.
• 9to5Mac said it had seen about ten unique cases and that the size of the problem was still unclear.
• iFixit suspects part of the hinge sometimes fails to lower as it should, The Verge reported.
• YouTuber CuriousHagi found a snapped link in the middle of the hinge after cracking a screen in testing, according to The Verge.
• Ars Technica reported that the only fix is a new OLED panel, at a cost of half the phone's price.

Background

One owner in Australia said the screen split along the hinge after roughly six hours and fewer than 20 openings. An Apple Store swapped that phone on the spot, The Verge reported.

9to5Mac described the damage as a crack down the center line of the hinge that leaves a horizontal block of pixels stuck glowing white. Ars Technica said affected screens show several bright lines that begin just below the middle of the display. Some units also have rows of dead pixels along the crease, Ars Technica reported.

Owners of failed phones describe odd resistance, and at times a clicking sound, as they close the device, according to Ars Technica. That detail fits the focus on the hinge, though it does not prove a cause.

What the teardowns found

iFixit used CT scans, teardown video and Apple's patents to build a 3D model of the hinge and study the damage, 9to5Mac reported.

One possible cause iFixit named is a central support bar that may not pull back properly as the phone closes, according to 9to5Mac. Another is a set of curved hinge rails that could press against the screen, 9to5Mac reported.

The Verge reported that iFixit suspects a piece of the complex hinge sometimes does not drop down as designed. iFixit also pointed out that an accordion-style cable runs over the same spot, near the edge of the battery, The Verge said.

In a separate test, YouTuber CuriousHagi cracked a screen during durability testing and then took the phone apart, The Verge reported. CuriousHagi found that a link in the center of the hinge, thinner than the links above and below it, had broken at a small notch.

9to5Mac stressed that iFixit's teardown does not prove what is behind the failures.

Repairability and dust

The Verge reported that iFixit gave the iPhone Duo a repairability score of 5 out of 10.

In iFixit's dust test, grit got into the USB-C port, speaker grills and hinge. Even so, less dust reached the inside than on the Z Fold8 or the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, according to The Verge.

Apple did not immediately reply to The Verge's request for comment on the teardown findings.

What it means for you

If you own an iPhone Duo, the main concern is the inner screen near the fold. How many units are affected, or what the failure rate is, is not known. 9to5Mac said it had counted about ten unique cases, but it could not say how widespread the issue is.

Most affected buyers who went to an Apple Store received a straight replacement, 9to5Mac said. Carriers, however, may not have had stock on hand to swap phones right away, according to 9to5Mac.

Outside a replacement, a repair could be costly. According to Ars Technica, the only fix is an OLED replacement that costs half as much as the device. The phone itself costs $2,000, according to Ars Technica.

Practical steps

• Watch for the signs owners describe: unusual resistance or a clicking sound when closing the phone, according to Ars Technica.
• Check the inner screen for bright lines below its midpoint or dead pixels along the crease, as Ars Technica described.
• If the screen fails, an Apple Store may be the fastest route, since 9to5Mac said most buyers there got a straight replacement.
• Be aware that carriers may not have had stock for an immediate swap, 9to5Mac said.

What happens next

Apple has not confirmed what is causing the cracks. It did not immediately respond to The Verge about the teardown findings.

Whether Apple will change its repair or warranty policy for this problem is not known. The number of affected phones is also unknown, so it is too early to say whether the problem is rare or widespread.

FAQ

Where do the cracks appear? Along the hinge, down its center line, according to 9to5Mac.

What is causing the cracks? No cause is confirmed. iFixit and CuriousHagi both point to hinge parts, but 9to5Mac said the iFixit teardown is not conclusive.

How many phones are affected? That is not known. 9to5Mac said it had seen about ten unique cases.

Can a cracked screen be replaced? Most affected buyers got a straight replacement at an Apple Store, 9to5Mac said. Otherwise, the only fix is a new OLED panel, Ars Technica reported.

How repairable is the iPhone Duo? iFixit rated it 5 out of 10, the best score it has given a foldable so far, The Verge reported.