iPhone Duo may have a second major hardware issue
iPhone Duo owners might want to give their device a quick look over before taking it anywhere damp or dusty.
Reddit user MICAPe9 has posted a video of their new Duo in a post titled Check your Duo, showing a clear gap between the device’s back and the hinge when closed. It appears that the back of the phone has lifted or bowed and the phone’s hinge mechanism can be seen in the space.
MICAPe9 / Reddit
This is clearly a defect, as the iPhone Duo is the first foldable to offer an IP68 rating for water and dust ingress – but bear in mind that Apple’s iPhone warranty does not cover water damage.
User MrOsterhagen replies in the comments: “I’ve had mine since launch, and I’ve been pleased as punch since it came out of the box. But I can see into the gaps on mine now […] The gap on mine is such that I, too, can see the hinges. There’s a small but noticeable bow in the “top” half.”
Several other users report a similar issue.
The long-awaited iPhone Duo launch has not been as smooth as new CEO John Ternus must have hoped. It was only hours after the Duo’s release on 23 October that multiple users began posting images of damage to the right-hand side of the phone’s inner display – all in the same spot, apparently a result of a faulty hinge mechanism cracking the screen.
Midnight_Slump / Reddit
Apple pundit Mark Gurman posted on X, confirming that the issue was real. Then Apple itself responded, not to offer any real information but to ensure that everyone knew it was a limited hardware problem:
“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.”
The problems keep on coming
Apple was late to the foldables game. Popular wisdom had it that this was one instance of Apple’s refusal to enter a new product area until all the design glitches had been ironed out and the tech was of a high enough standard for consumers beyond early adopters to enjoy.
The idea was that Apple had learned from the limitations of Samsung, Motorola and others, and would arrive fashionably late, coolly unveiling a perfectly finished product that “just works”. Ahead of launch, there was a lot of speculation that Apple’s first foldable would completely solve the visible screen crease issue.
But that’s not how it turned out. While iPhone Duo reviews, including our own, have praised the device, the entire launch has felt rushed and bumpier than anticipated, especially given its long development period. (And the crease, fact fans, is still in evidence, although mitigated by the screen’s matt finish.)
Britta O’Boyle
For a start, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 rival was announced at the same time as the iPhone 18 and iPhone 18 Pro, at the brand’s 9 September “Surprise and Shine event”, but it wasn’t ready for release along with the Pro models on 18 September.
The Duo was available in stores on 23 October but, even with this delay, many of the third-party apps for the Duo weren’t ready by the time samples reached the press for testing. Subsequently, many of the reviews that came out ahead of the phone’s arrival in store mentioned a lack of compatible software.
This may have led to Apple’s surprise 22 October press release, in which the brand clarified: “Starting this Friday [23 October], iPhone Duo users can discover amazing apps and games optimised for the first foldable iPhone”. The lateness of the release made it feel like a scramble to get ahead of criticism, rather than part of a planned PR campaign.
Overall, it’s been a bumpy start for the Duo. But if the legions of Apple fans enjoy the device, it’ll all be forgotten. That is, unless “GapGate” turns out to be as headline-grabbing as “CrackGate” and hardware problems with the new device persist, in which case Apple’s own shiny reputation could suffer a crack or two.
See how the Duo stacks up against the competition in our round-up of the best foldables we’ve tested.
