Apple offers iPhone Duo replacements after reports of screens cracking within hours

Apple has acknowledged a problem affecting the iPhone Duo’s inner display and says owners experiencing it should contact AppleCare for a replacement.

The company said the issue affects a small number of devices and appears to emerge shortly after use begins. Apple has not explained what causes the screens to crack or said whether it plans to change the phone’s design.

“We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units,” Apple said in a statement.

The response follows complaints from early buyers after the phone went on sale on October 23. Owners reported cracks along the fold and a bright horizontal line across the inner screen. Some said the damage appeared during initial setup, and one buyer reported a failure after around six hours and fewer than 20 openings.

A separate iFixit investigation identified a possible pressure point beneath the display. Using CT scans and a 3D hinge model, the repair specialists simulated how the phone closes and found that a central support bar might not retract far enough, allowing the folding screen to press against it.

The resulting stress appeared close to the damage visible in owners’ photographs. That remains a hypothesis, and Apple has not confirmed a connection between the hinge mechanism and the reported failures.