iPhone Duo screen cracks: iFixit technician points to possible hinge stress
An iFixit teardown technician says a hinge support may press against the foldable display. Apple says a small number of phones are affected and is offering replacements.
Apple’s iPhone Duo has drawn reports of cracked inner screens since its launch the previous Friday, and an iFixit teardown technician has identified a possible stress point in the folding hinge. Apple says a small number of phones are affected and is directing owners with display problems to AppleCare for replacements. The number of affected units has not been disclosed.
The Verge reported that images posted within hours of launch often showed damage near the middle of the inner screen, above the hinge, with lines extending across one side. Business Insider cautioned that some widely circulated pictures of damaged Duo screens had been altered or generated with AI.
How the iPhone Duo hinge could stress its screen
Shahram Mokhtari, iFixit’s lead teardown technician, told The Verge after taking apart the phone that the flexible display appears to press against a hinge component where the damage is appearing. The hinge uses gears, springs and joints to let the device close while leaving room for the screen to bend inside it.
The Verge reported that iFixit’s written and video teardowns show the center hinge support making room for a flex cable, creating edges near the fold. Mokhtari suggested that the support bar might sometimes fail to drop far enough as the phone closes, concentrating pressure between the bar and the bent screen. He said black spots visible in some damage photographs appeared to mark where metal contacted the display. His explanation is a possible mechanism, not a cause confirmed by Apple.
One owner described feeling something near the internal hinge before hearing a crack while opening the phone, according to The Verge. The outlet also reported that a durability-test video appeared to capture a break in a similar place and that a teardown of that device found a snapped hinge part connected to the central bar. Those accounts describe circumstances in which individual screens broke.
Apple’s response to affected iPhone Duo owners
Apple told The Verge that the issue affected a ‘small number’ of Duo units and that it was replacing damaged phones. In a separate statement to Business Insider, Apple told customers experiencing display issues to contact AppleCare for a replacement. The company did not give a count of affected devices.
Mokhtari told The Verge that foldable screens and their hinges are delicate and that many Duo owners appeared to be using their phones without problems.
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Sources and context
- Here’s why the iPhone Duo’s hinge could be cracking the screenThe Verge
- Apple's iPhone Duo is getting roasted over screen cracksBusiness Insider
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.