An iPhone Duo owner says the internal screen cracked before they finished setting up Apple's first foldable phone, after the hinge became tight and made a loud pop.
Posting as u/leftyhyzer16 on Reddit, the owner described the failure after approximately four folds. They later said an Apple Store in Dallas replaced the device immediately at no charge.
TechSpot covered the complaint on 24 October 2026. The incident's exact date and technical cause have not been independently established.
Apple's UK starting price is £1,999 for the 256GB model. The owner's purchase price and storage configuration have not been established.
Owner Describes Resistance Before Screen Failure
The Reddit post describes the sequence: 'Maybe folded it 4 times, hinge got tight and then made a loud pop when I pushed past it'.
The accompanying image shows display damage and a software-update prompt. That prompt does not independently establish when the damage occurred or whether initial setup was unfinished.
The owner's account includes continuing to move the hinge after feeling resistance. That detail does not establish whether the damage resulted from a component fault, handling or another cause.
Separate Owner Reports Failure Within Six Hours
Another Reddit user, u/Midnight_Slump, reported a similar failure in Australia after roughly six hours of ownership and fewer than 20 openings.
They said they were showing the phone to a friend when they felt something beneath the screen near the internal hinge. As they continued opening it, they heard a crack. They reported no surface or external hinge marks suggesting that something had become trapped.
The owner said an Apple Store replaced the device on the spot. Subreddit moderators said they had reviewed additional photographs and Apple documentation supporting the damaged-device and replacement account. They expressly distinguished that assessment from verifying the cause.
Why the Display Damage Can Look L-Shaped
In its teardown published on 25 October, iFixit examined reports showing a line down the fold and a bright line extending across the display.
It explained that a localised fault in tiny electrical connections can affect an entire row or column of pixels. The visible lines can therefore extend beyond the original damage. An L-shaped display fault does not necessarily indicate a physical crack along both lines.
iFixit built a three-dimensional hinge model using teardown footage, patents and CT scans. It compared that model with reported damage locations and identified a possible stress point near the transition between the cable gap and central hinge support.
In one simulation, the central support bar did not descend far enough, allowing the folding screen to press against it. iFixit presented this as a possible explanation, rather than a confirmed diagnosis of either owner's phone.
Manufacturing-Fault Claims Do Not Require AppleCare+
The Dallas owner said they first visited AT&T. According to their account, staff recommended going to Apple because a carrier replacement would put them at the back of an order queue extending into January. Apple reportedly had a replacement available that day.
Those experiences do not establish a blanket promise of immediate replacements. Apple's UK one-year limited warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship under its terms. Accidental damage is excluded, and consumer-law rights apply separately.
Owners can pursue a manufacturing-fault claim without buying an additional protection plan. For a valid claim under Apple's limited warranty, its terms allow repair, replacement or refund at its option. Those terms do not determine remedies available under consumer law.
Replacement Holds and Availability Can Differ
The Australian owner said telephone support offered express replacement but required a hold for the phone's full cost. They chose an in-store replacement instead.
Apple's UK instructions describe express replacement as an AppleCare benefit. They confirm that a temporary card hold is released after the original device is processed and coverage confirmed. The hold can become a charge if the device is not returned within 10 working days or is ineligible because of unauthorised modifications or severe damage.
Neither owner's experience establishes a general UK replacement timeframe. New-purchase delivery estimates also do not establish service waiting times.
The reviewed sources do not establish a reliable failure rate or an Apple-confirmed common cause. The complaints document individual experiences, while iFixit's analysis offers a possible explanation that remains unconfirmed.
