Some iPhone Duo devices are already showing hinge issues that cause display cracks, according to photos shared on Reddit and the MacRumors forums. Almost all reported faults run right along the hinge, and many show a line of bright pixels across one side of the screen.
An iPhone Duo owner in Australia said his device cracked after being opened fewer than 20 times and that there was no visible damage beforehand. The user described the incident as follows:
“Had my iPhone Duo for about six hours and had probably opened it fewer than 20 times. I was showing it to a friend, and as I opened it, I felt something around the internal hinge, underneath the screen. As I continued opening it, I heard an audible crack, and the screen broke right along the hinge. There were no marks or damage on the inner screen’s surface or the external hinge to suggest anything had been caught or damaged.”
The owner visited an Apple Store, and Apple replaced the broken device immediately. Apple is likely collecting defective iPhone Duos to research points of failure, which could lead to manufacturing changes to reduce future issues.
iPhone Duo hinge cracks seen in user photos
Several images of broken displays have also appeared from demo devices in China, where the iPhone Duo launched hours ahead of the U.S. The backstory for most of those images is unknown, and user damage may be a factor. Some reviewers who received iPhone Duos early subjected them to folding tests and did not encounter screen issues, but that represents a small sample.
With a large number of people receiving iPhone Duos today, some failures are expected. It is not known how widespread the problem is or whether complaints will increase over time. Hinge failures from normal use should be covered under the one-year warranty, and customers receiving an iPhone Duo today have two weeks to make a return.
