iPhone Duo screens are already cracking: What buyers need to know

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• Some iPhone Duo inner screens are failing at the hinge within hours of unboxing.
• The cause is unknown, but identical damage points to a faulty batch of hinges.
• If yours fails, document it, don’t accept blame, and choose refund or replacement.

What’s happening?

Owners are seeing bright white lines appear on the display, sometimes within a few hours of ownership. And all the damage being reported seems to be the same — one or more bright lines running across the right-hand side of the display about a third of the way up, with a secondary line along the middle.

What’s causing it?

Bottom line: We don’t know, but there are some well-informed guesses out there.

There’s been a flurry of activity over the weekend related to what is, rather predictably, being called “Crackgate.” The teardown experts at iFixit have been busy — they completely disassembled a Duo, built a 3D model of the hinge, and identified several ways the hinge mechanism could be damaging the inner display.

It could be that the flexible display is coming into contact with a support bar that doesn’t retract properly, or that a rail that moves during folding is brushing against the screen, causing a pressure hotspot. Finally, the damage appears to start where a lot of edges, components, and moving parts converge, and that convergence could be stressing the display more than expected.

South Korean YouTuber CuriousHagi 궁금하기 also took apart an iPhone Duo to examine the hinge and posted a very informative video.

Another pattern I’ve noticed in reports from affected users is that their Duos initially opened and closed smoothly, but then they began to encounter resistance when opening and closing the handset, and after this, the display would break within a few open/close cycles.

The speed with which these damage reports began to appear — some within a few hours — suggests this is a manufacturing or assembly issue, not wear. It’s a complicated hinge made up of more than a hundred components, so there’s a lot of scope for things to go wrong.

What should you do if you’re affected?

Because this is a manufacturing or assembly issue, it’s ultimately not down to you.

However, based on the reports I’ve read from users in this situation, the customer service and support messaging around this issue seems to be a little muddled at present.

One affected user reports that an Apple Genius they spoke to at an Apple Store in Jacksonville, Florida, told them that they must have damaged or dropped the Duo, before going on to say that “it’s a new device and it’s fragile and these things should be expected with new technology,” and then suggested that the owner insure it and make a claim.

But don’t let this put you off.

Here’s what I’d do:

• Document the issue. Take photos of the damage and note the timeline of events (which shouldn’t be difficult, as you haven’t had the handset long).
• Approach the retailer. If you bought it from Apple, contact Apple; if you got it from a third-party retailer or your carrier, that’s your first port of call.
• Don’t accept any responsibility for damaging the handset. You might get some resistance, but stand your ground. A $2,000+ handset should last longer than a few hours, and since there are a number of reports of the issue circulating (and plenty of secondary reporting), you’re not alone.
• The options. In the end, you’ll probably be presented with two options: a return for a refund or a replacement.

Should I take a refund or a replacement?

Supplies of the Duo are low, which means you’re highly unlikely to walk out of a retailer with a replacement in hand (even if that retailer was Apple). I’ve only come across one report in which an affected owner received an immediate replacement. Most are being told they’ll have to wait until January for a replacement. However, this might change, as Apple could choose to divert more stock to replacement channels to address this issue.

And, of course, this assumes that the issue isn’t particularly widespread (more on this in a second) and that Apple can figure it out and resolve it quickly.

If you can wait, then my advice is to wait. But if you were planning to sell or trade in your existing handset, that would leave you in a bit of a bind. Grabbing a refund and waiting for all this to blow over before buying another one will be the best option for you.

Mine’s not broken yet! What should I do?

Tricky question. What if your Duo is fine right now, but falls victim to “Crackgate” down the line?

I’m assuming that most people dropping $1,999 to $3,199 on a handset will have AppleCare or some third-party insurance to fall back on. That’ll give you peace of mind moving forward no matter what Apple’s policy on this ends up being in the long term.

Also, if you bought the handset directly from Apple, you have 14 days to return it if this issue has made you lose confidence in the robustness of a folding iPhone. If you bought it from a carrier or third party, you’ll have to check their returns policy (and be aware of any fees).

How widespread is this screen issue?

Not very.

It’s safe to say that any new iPhone launch will see hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of devices land in the hands of new owners on day one. Despite the hype around “Crackgate,” I’ve read fewer than a dozen firsthand reports of the issue.

This, combined with the fact that the damage all seems to be exactly the same, suggests it’s likely a batch of defective hinges that made it into the wild, and it’s an issue that’ll be sorted out going forward. But whether that causes more shortages in the short term remains to be seen.

I’ve reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story if and when I hear back.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Senior Contributing Editor

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over two decades to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera. Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include 'Build the Ultimate Custom PC', 'Beginning Programming' and 'The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide'. He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies. See full bio