Early iPhone Duo buyers report inner screens cracking along the crease

The earliest accounts came from China and Australia, which are 12 to 19 hours ahead of the United States and received units first. One detailed report came from a Reddit user posting as Midnight_Slump, who said the phone had been in their hands for about six hours and had been opened fewer than 20 times when the screen failed. "I was showing it to a friend, and as I opened it, I felt something around the internal hinge, underneath the screen," the user wrote. "As I continued opening it, I heard an audible crack, and the screen broke right along the hinge."

The same user said they took the phone to an Apple Store and received a replacement on the spot, adding: "Day zero, six hours of ownership, and already on my second phone."

Other posts suggested the failure was not confined to one device. Reddit user Bitter_Offer7123 compiled images from Chinese communities that showed damage in almost the same position along the crease, according to Android Authority, which noted that identical failures across several units would point to a possible design issue but that the available evidence does not establish that.

Reviews of the iPhone Duo published earlier this week did not report the same problem. YouTubers Tim Pan and Joanna Stern subjected the device to repeated folding tests; the screen and hinge showed wear after thousands of folds but did not crack.

Whether the reports reflect a small batch of faulty units, a wider defect or user error cannot be determined from the information available so far. Supply of the device is thin and delivery estimates are long, and the phone sells for about $2,000, so more reports are likely as units reach more buyers in the coming days.