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Just hours after the iPhone Duo launch, users reported broken inner screens on some brand-new foldable phones. Photographs shared on social media showed similar issues, with cracks or marks appearing in the middle of the screen above the hinge alongside lines on the right side of the display. Apple acknowledged an issue and announced it is replacing damaged units, though the company did not specify how many broken phones have been reported.
Inside the iPhone Duo Hinge Mechanism
Shahram Mokhtari, lead teardown technician at iFixit, examined the iPhone Duo and told The Verge that the issue stems from the hinge. The mechanism uses a series of gears, springs, and joints to allow the device to close flat while preventing a deep crease by giving the screen space to bend more gently inside.
Mokhtari explained that at the troublesome spot, the flexible inner screen pushes up against a part of the hinge. Because the inner screen is extremely sensitive, poking the edges with a sharp tool would break it. Social media photos of damaged Duos frequently show a black spot where the damage focuses on the display, which Mokhtari identified as the point where the metal hits the screen.
Teardowns and Durability Tests
Written and video Duo teardowns by iFixit display where the hinge transitions, showing how the center hinge support makes space for a crossing flex cable to create several potential culprit edges. The damage observed by iFixit occurs at points where the center support bar may fail to drop down far enough during folding, potentially creating a stress hot spot between the flat bar and the bent screen inside a closed device.
One user with a broken Duo screen reported feeling something around the internal hinge while showing it to a friend, continuing to open it, and hearing an audible crack as the screen broke. YouTuber CuriousHagi exposed a Duo to dirt during a strenuous durability test and captured a similar screen break in the same location. During a teardown video, CuriousHagi discovered that a hinge component connected to the central bar had snapped.
Apple Response and Future Outlook
Apple stated that the issue impacts a small number of Duo units. Mokhtari noted that exact numbers remain unknown, stating that Apple possesses all the data and likely knows more than it has shared. He added that because foldable screens and hinges are extremely complicated and delicate, a certain number of failures are expected.
Apple has not issued a recall for the Duos. Mokhtari stated that if identical failures continue to appear in three months, the problem would be more widespread and could trigger a recall.
As this marks the first generation of the iPhone Duo, Apple engineers are gathering data on the hinge for the first time. Mokhtari expressed certainty that Apple will redesign the faulty components for its next-generation foldable device, while noting that most users currently have the phones in hand and are using them without encountering any issues.
