Is there a crack in Apple Inc.’s ambitious leap into the foldable smartphone market? It seems there are several: The iPhone maker has encountered immediate turbulence following widespread consumer reports of screen fractures on its newly released iPhone Duo.
Within days of the flagship handset hitting store shelves, early adopters began circulating photos and video evidence of shattered inner panels, prompting online tech communities to dub the controversy “crackgate.”
The device, which unfolds book-style to reveal an expansive 7.6-inch Super Retina display, starts at nearly $2,000. It initially saw extraordinary consumer interest, selling out within minutes and drawing crowds outside retail locations. However, that enthusiasm turned into frustration for a segment of early buyers who reported catastrophic hardware failures within hours of opening the box. Multiple users documented hearing an audible pop or snap while operating the hinge, followed by physical cracking along the fold line and vertical rows of distorted or brightly lit pixels.
In an official statement addressing the matter, Apple confirmed it is actively tracking the situation. “We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units,” the company said, advising affected customers to contact AppleCare for immediate replacements. While several owners indicated that Apple Store personnel promptly swapped their broken hardware on the spot, questions remain regarding whether replacement devices carry the same vulnerability.
Repair authority iFixit constructed a 3-D hinge model utilizing patents, teardown footage, and CT scans to pinpoint structural stress points. Its findings indicated that the central support bar appears to struggle to drop sufficiently as the device closes, concentrating destructive pressure right where the crossing flex cables meet the central hinge. Furthermore, particulate testing revealed that fine powder quickly penetrates the internal moving parts, causing the hinge mechanism to audibly crunch.
Independent durability benchmarks have added to concerns surrounding the phone’s long-term endurance. In a live-streamed stress test conducted by Polish technology reviewer Kuba Klawiter, the iPhone Duo failed after just 75,003 folds following exposure to ambient dust and freezing temperatures, developing lines identical to consumer damage reports. By contrast, rival hardware such as Samsung’s older Galaxy Z Flip 5 survived more than 400,000 continuous folds under comparable conditions.
“A real problem, user acceptance of foldable, is still nascent. Device proved consumer interest in form factor but need to see devices last two to three years without issues before mass adoption is possible,” said Dan O’Brien, president and chief operating officer of The Futurum Group. “Shades of Antennagate! Apple has high trust and will make things right; or else reputation will suffer with a very loyal base. [Apple CEO John] Ternus gets an early test.”
Although Apple maintains that the defect is confined to an isolated fraction of units, the optics present an uncomfortable challenge for the iconic company based in Cupertino, Calif.
Competing manufacturers have already leveraged the hardware woes in promotional counter-campaigns. For a high-stakes, first-generation product intended to prove Apple’s capability in the foldable space, overcoming early durability doubts will be critical to reassuring cautious prospective buyers.
