Apple Admits Some iPhone Duo Inner Screens Are Failing and Tells Owners to Get a Replacement

The company says a "small number" of its $1,999 foldables are affected and that AppleCare will swap them, with or without AppleCare+. It has not said what is causing the cracks.

CUPERTINO, Calif. - Apple said on Monday that it is aware of a problem with the inner display on “a small number” of iPhone Duo units, its first public acknowledgment of the cracked screens that early owners of its first folding phone have been reporting since it went on sale Friday. Owners with an affected display should contact AppleCare for a replacement, the company said.

“We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units,” Apple said in a statement shared with 9to5Mac, MacRumors, Bloomberg and The Verge. “If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.” The statement opened by saying the response from early users “has been incredibly positive” and that developers are “rapidly updating their apps to take advantage of its unique form factor.”

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported the problem earlier on Monday. Screenshot: @markgurman on X

The statement came shortly after Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the screen-cracking problem “is real.” In a post on X, Gurman wrote that Apple had not yet given stores or customer service representatives guidance but was investigating, and that several people had sent him images and stories of their new $2,000 device “breaking within hours.”

Apple did not say what is causing the damage or whether a fix is planned, MacRumors reported. The company told MacRumors and 9to5Mac that most units are not affected and that, on phones that are, the crack tends to appear shortly after purchase rather than developing over time. Owners do not need AppleCare+ to get a replacement for this problem, 9to5Mac reported, and buyers who purchased through a carrier should go to AppleCare directly rather than to their carrier. Some owners have already received replacements in Apple Stores, though limited stock means others are waiting.

Gurman shared Apple’s statement on X. Screenshot: @markgurman on X

The reports follow a pattern. Owners describe the hinge feeling stuck, sometimes with a popping noise, before a crack appears along the fold in the lower half of the inner screen, often with a bright line running from the center toward the right side, according to MacRumors and The Verge. Both 9to5Mac and MacRumors cautioned that some images circulating online are AI-generated fakes, which makes the true scale of the problem harder to judge.

The Duo folds closed to a single outer screen and opens to a larger inner display. Image: Apple

The most detailed look at a possible cause came over the weekend, when iFixit’s teardown found that the breaks cluster where several hinge edges meet and raised the possibility that a central support bar is not retracting fully as the phone closes. Outside of this issue, Apple charges $999 to replace a damaged inner display out of warranty.

The iPhone Duo half folded in StandBy mode. Image: Apple

The Duo starts at $1,999 and is one of the first products Apple has launched since John Ternus succeeded Tim Cook as chief executive, The Verge noted. Apple has not said how many units are affected.