iPhone Duo owners say Apple’s new foldable phone broke within hours of purchase

Apple’s first foldable iPhone went on sale on Oct. 23, and some new owners report that their devices are already broken. 

Within days of the new iPhone Duo hitting stores, photos and videos of cracked screens began popping up online. Consumers said the device’s inner screen broke down the middle near the hinge where the phone folds, leaving a line across the display.

The Duo, whose price starts at nearly $2,000 and tops $3,000 for higher-end models, represents Apple’s biggest bet in years and the first major product rollout under new Apple CEO John Ternus. 

“Loud pop”

Jesse Dalton, who lives near Frisco, Texas, bought the Duo the day it came out. He told CBS News he had just put a case on the phone and went to open the device when it “just got super tight about halfway up the hinge.”

“Just pushed past it, assuming it was just stuck on the case or something for some reason, and the whole thing just snapped. I just heard a loud pop, and the screen just cracked right in the middle,” Dalton said. 

“I didn’t even make it through setup,” he added.

Dalton said he paid about $800 for the 512-gigabyte model after an AT&T trade-in promotion, bringing the full retail price to around $2,200.

A local Apple Store had a replacement on hand, he noted. “So they had one, and they were able to swap it out immediately. So I was in and out like 30 minutes.”

But Dalton voiced concern about the phone’s durability.

“Every time I open it, I kind of have a little pause where I’m waiting to see if it catches that same way,” he said. 

Justin Smith bought a Duo as a graduation gift for his wife, Roneshia. She said it cracked the following morning, less than 24 hours after purchase. 

“We both woke up, and like most people, I grabbed my phone off the nightstand. I went to open it up like a book, and I realized I just could not get it open. It was a lot of resistance,” she said. 

“When I finally was able to get it opened, that’s when we heard the crack noise, like an egg cracking. We just totally just started laughing basically because we were, like, no way, it’s been less than 24 hours,” Roneshia added. 

After taking her device to an Apple Store, she said the staff said they were unable to fix it and that the only option was a replacement. But because the phone is backordered, she’s unsure when she’ll receive a new Duo. “I’m kind of stuck in this limbo.”

What Apple says

Apple told CBS News it is aware that some Duo owners are reporting problems with the phone. 

“The response to iPhone Duo from early users has been incredibly positive, and we are seeing exciting things from developers who are rapidly updating their apps to take advantage of its unique form factor,” the company said in a statement. “We are aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units. If users experience issues with their iPhone Duo display, they should contact AppleCare for a replacement.”

Lance Ulanoff, editor at large at technology news website TechRadar, said the Duo’s folding screen consists of multiple layers, including an OLED panel, glass, a plastic covering and a mechanical hinge. The ultra-thin glass could be the most fragile part, he said.

Apple’s quick acknowledgment of an issue with the device is also unusual, Ulanoff noted.

“I honestly was shocked that Apple responded and acknowledged that they had seen a small number of these things. That’s not typical of Apple to do that,” he said.

Ulanoff, who said he had been using a Duo for a week and a half, hasn’t had trouble with his own device. “I think that this right now looks like a blip. We’ll keep an eye on it if it becomes more than that.”

Ulanoff said owners with a damaged Duo should go to Apple, and he recommends making an appointment at an Apple Store rather than walking in.

“I would be making a beeline right back to Apple,” he said.

The reports came as Apple prepared for another product event in Los Angeles this week, where the company is expected to unveil a touchscreen laptop.