Apple iPhone Duo Foldable Screen Cracking Within Hours of Purchase

Apple's iPhone Duo, the company's first foldable smartphone and one of its most significant product launches in years, is drawing a growing number of complaints from customers who say the inner foldable display cracked after just hours or days of normal use. Reports describe a line appearing along the fold, with some owners experiencing screen failure before completing a single day with the device.

The complaints put a sharp focus on repair costs. Apple's out-of-warranty screen replacement for the iPhone Duo is priced at $999, one of the highest repair bills the company has ever charged, making the question of whether damage is covered under warranty a high-stakes one for affected customers. Apple has reportedly been replacing some units, but has not publicly clarified what distinguishes a manufacturing defect from accidental damage.

The Duo, priced at $1,999, launched as Apple's entry into the foldable phone market and arrives with software still catching up to its hardware, with several major apps including Spotify, Google Maps, and Discord not yet optimized for its form factor. The screen-cracking reports compound early criticism of the device and raise broader questions about the durability of first-generation foldable technology.