--- title: "Apple’s Folding Phone Is Already Breaking at an Incredible Rate, Just Hours Into Use" description: "An astonishing number of iPhone Duo users are reporting that the $1,999 device's 7.6-inch inner display is cracking down the middle." date: "2026-10-27" modified: "2026-10-27" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor.md" url: "https://futurism.com/robots-and-machines/apple-folding-iphone-duo-already-cracking" categories: - "Robots and Machines" --- # Apple’s Folding Phone Is Already Breaking at an Incredible Rate, Just Hours Into Use ![A picture of a cracked iPhone Duo.]() *Netherwinde via Reddit* Samsung released its first-generation Galaxy Fold — a futuristic, book-style foldable smartphone — back in 2019, well over seven years ago. Apple, which has a long track record of playing it safe and entering markets long after a specific consumer electronics segment has been established, finally released a foldable of its own, called the iPhone Duo, last week. Yet despite the lengthy delay, the cracks are already starting to show — in the most literal way possible. An astonishing number of customers [across the globe]() are reporting that the $1,999 device's 7.6-inch inner display is already cracking down the middle, with horizontal white lines indicating something is seriously wrong. Users across social media platforms are sharing images of their devices, which they say broke just hours after receiving them. While customers are able to swap in their phones at the local Apple Store for a new one, the "crackgate" issue has left an understandably bad taste in customers' mouths. "More crack than a plumber," one affected Reddit user [wrote](). "My iPhone Duo screen gave out on me last night." Others even [mocked up lock screen images]() that carefully obfuscated the obvious white lines. After days of frustrated customers posting pictures of their broken screens, Apple finally publicly acknowledged the issue. In a [carefully worded statement](), Apple celebrated that the response from early users had been "incredibly positive," but noted that it's "aware of an issue impacting the inner display on a small number of iPhone Duo units." It's still not entirely clear what is causing the cracking or how widespread the issue is. Independent testing has shown that dust can enter the hinge mechanism, despite the device's IP68 dust and water resistance rating. One [YouTube analysis suggests]() the Duo's complex hinge mechanisms may be prone to snap at a specific weak point. The Duo is a major departure from years of Apple playing it safe, with mostly iterative improvements to each of the iPhone's yearly releases that have increasingly failed to convince users to ditch their still-capable devices in favor of a new one. On top of it all are soaring consumer electronics prices triggered by the AI gold rush. Of course, chances are Apple will have an opportunity to iron out these issues for the next generation of the Duo. But that won't exactly be reassuring to early adopters, who took a chance on the extremely expensive first-generation device. **More on Apple:** [*Mac Users Are Nuking Every Trace of Apple AI on Their Machines*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() ## More - [New Apple Patent Shows a Bendable iPhone Using Carbon Nanotubes]() - [Apple Files Patent for iPhone That Rolls Up Like a Stack of Money]() - [LIVE Updates: Everything You Need to Know From Apple’s iPhone Keynote]() - [Foldable Smartphones? Samsung Files Patent for Rollable, Folding Phones]() - [Apple Wins: Judge Says US Can’t Force Apple to Unlock iPhone]() - [Apple, Google, and Microsoft Smartphones Could Have Foldable Displays in 2018]() - [Apple Just Released New Details About iPhone X Facial Recognition]() - [Apple Unveils Tool That Cuts You Off If You Spend Too Much Time on Your iPhone]()