iPhone Duo owners report inner display failures as Apple offers swaps for 'a small number'
Problem
Weeks after its October 23 launch, the iPhone Duo is drawing complaints over inner display failures linked to the hinge, and Apple says only a small number of units are affected and is offering replacements.
- iPhone Duo launched October 23 after a September reveal
- Apple says 'a small number' of units are affected and is offering replacements
- The swap for this issue reportedly does not require AppleCare+
- A folding test failed at 75,003 folds, versus over 400,000 for the Galaxy Z Flip 5
- No local Egypt or Gulf store prices are available at MobiArabia yet
Apple's first book-style foldable, the iPhone Duo, launched on October 23 after a September reveal, and early demand was strong enough that the company raised production targets. Since then, users have reported serious failures of the inner display, with many pointing to the hinge.
According to user complaints, the inner display fails on some units. Durability tester JerryRigEverything showed that dust and debris can interfere with the hinge and stop the phone from closing properly, while iFixit's teardown identified the hinge as the cause of the display issue.
In a livestreamed folding test run by Polish YouTuber Kuba Klawiter with different people taking part, the iPhone Duo failed after just 75,003 folds, developing lines on the inner display. It ran trouble-free for 50,000 folds; after dust was introduced the crease looked worse at 60,000, and placing it in ice led to failure. In a similar test, the older Galaxy Z Flip 5 lasted over 400,000 folds.
Apple says only "a small number" of iPhone Duo units are affected by the inner display issue and that it is offering replacements. Users reportedly do not need AppleCare+ coverage to get the phone swapped for this specific screen-cracking problem.
Separately, Samsung ran a sponsored Instagram ad mocking the hinge vulnerability, noting that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is 1.6 mm thinner and 53 g lighter than the iPhone Duo: 9.7 mm folded and 201 g versus 11.3 mm and 254 g. The iPhone Duo carries an IP68 rating against the Fold 8's IP48, and the ad closes by saying Samsung is "Years ahead in Foldables."
For buyers in Egypt and the Gulf: MobiArabia has no store price or availability for the iPhone Duo in the region yet, so there is no local value to judge. We will add store prices when it arrives.
